Wolf's Storm
by Snodin
Summary: Post-Anime. Chapter Five: "Abandoned." The pack finds a safe haven in the middle of a dense wilderness. But all is not peaceful, as they soon face off against the dreaded Alpha Werewolf. And afterwards, Kiba makes a very hard decision...
1. Stray

_Life is an endless cycle containing only three turns; birth, death, and rebirth. It is like the forest that was once burned to ash only to grow green again, and like the Ice Age that melts away to a new spring. Such as it was in one world which was about to end, only to begin again._

_In this world, an evil creature, driven mad by his own losses, tried to prematurely open Paradise, an era of regeneration and new hope. When he forced Its gates open, Paradise not only rejected him, It also destroyed him, leaving behind the only true wolf part he ever had: his left eyeball. The true chosen one then came forward and unleashed Paradise's beauty to the world; however, that beauty would prove to be short lived with the recreation of disease and decay. But that was not to be the ending of the story, only a new beginning._

_The world is now once again in its prime and teeming with life, but its end is drawing near. The only thing that can save it is the one being chosen by Paradise to open its gates again. And, just as it always has, it all starts with a wolf finding his feet, following the scent of a flower._

**Wolf's Storm**

By Snodin

Based on "Wolf's Rain," created and owned by BONES

**Grope 1.**

"**Stray"**

Freedom.

That was his first thought, that moment when he first knew in his heart what he truly was. For as long as he could remember, he walked on two legs and wore clothing, just like any other human. Just yesterday, he was walking down the street in the pouring rain, aimlessly as if lost. It never bothered him, until that moment. For in that moment, his nose picked up its very first scent of lunar flower. That's when it hit him like a brick wall.

All at once, he took off in a mad dash toward the scent, oblivious of what anyone else might have been thinking of him at the time. In fact, he didn't even see anyone else; all he could think of was the flower, how badly he needed to get to it. And then, all of a sudden, he was no longer running on two legs, but four ghostly-white paws.

_Freedom!_

Deep in the heart of Aerzia City, just before rush hour, people walking about the pavement would be stunned and alarmed at the sight of a large white wolf tearing down the street in a mad dash. He zoomed by them so quickly, that all they could really see was a blur. Some would rub their eyes in confusion, others would gasp with their eyes bulged as if they had seen a ghost. The rest wouldn't catch a glimpse of him in time, and mistaken him for a gust of wind.

From the wolf's point of view, those passersby looked like ghosts to him; he could clearly see the cat within the woman waiting for the bus, the ape within the man selling apples, the stork within his latest customer, the grizzly bear within the woman pushing a stroller that carried two cubs. None of it made sense to him as he whizzed by, but it was of no interest to him. All he knew and cared for was that fact that he, Kiba, was no longer a prisoner in his own body. He was a wolf now, and he wasn't ashamed to show it.

…

In a dark alley on that same street, a young boy with sleek brown hair that grazed his shoulder line was coaxing a small kitten out of a cardboard box it was hiding in.

"Come on out, little fella. I got some food here," cooed the boy's soft voice as he held out an open can of tuna. "It's okay, I won't hurt you… Smell that? It's good. Here, try some."

The black and white kitten, eased by the boy's friendliness, crawled out from under the box and dared to taste the bait. It was perhaps the first act of kindness the tiny kitten had ever experienced; it purred as it let the boy gently pet its head.

Moments later, the white wolf passed them in a flash. Though his back was to the wolf, the boy lifted his head in alarm. He felt overcome with shock, as if he were electrocuted. He whirled his head around to see what it was that set off his senses, but it was too late. The wolf was already gone.

…

The scent was getting stronger with each mile; the lunar flower was definitely here, in this city! But what Kiba wasn't counting on was the fact that there were others searching for it as well… and that they would beat him to it.

Three tall men dressed in crimson red robes with hoods that hid their faces marched into the dark alley where the small lily-white flower stood up against a brick wall. They carefully took a small shovel, scooped it up, and replanted it in a clear jar. The monk-like men then silently walked out of the alleyway just as secretly as they had walked in, just before the Arctic wolf showed up.

Kiba skidded to a halt, realizing that the scent had suddenly disappeared. His eyes gazed into the shadowy alleyway, while his nose wiggled in search of the sweet scent, but to no avail.

"_Gone… it's gone! …How can this be?"_ his thoughts panicked.

Distraught, Kiba wandered aimlessly into the city's poorer regions, where the streets were littered with both trash and homeless people. These slums were also home to some of the meaner residents of Aerzia, but not one of them would dare confront the wolf as he passed them by. None, that is, except for three down on their luck hunters.

The three men gathered around a fiery trashcan for warmth, even though their elk-skin coats and wooly hats should have been enough to sustain them. They were each middle-aged, shaggy-haired, and even the youngest of them was now growing a beard. They were worn out after days of fruitless hunting in the nearby wilderness; now all they could do was scratch for food. But all of that was about to change.

Travis, whose thick hair and beard were as black as night, caught sight of the approaching wolf in the corner of his eye. Quickly he whirled around to see if it was an illusion, but there it was, a large white wolf, staring him in the face. His friends also stood in awe at the wolf.

"What the… Where in the world did he come from?" asked Moth, the eldest and graying man.

"_I'm searching for something,"_ answered the wolf telepathically.

"It speaks!" gasped the youngest hunter, who jumped in front of his elders with his rifle in hand.

"Careful, Sydney," said Moth behind him. "It could be a ghost, or a demon."

"_I'm no demon,"_ the wolf's thoughts replied. _"I'm looking for the flower."_

"There are no flowers here," replied the dark-haired Travis. "Nothing grows in these slums anymore."

"_But it was here. I smelled it all the way from… From…"_ He paused to try and remember where his journey began. Nothing came to mind, not even a road.

The smallest hunter, Sydney, turned to his friends and grinned. "Say… a talking wolf. How much would it be worth?"

"Any wolf is worth its weight in silver," replied Travis the ring leader. "But this one…? Well, let's see if we can catch him first. He looks young and spry indeed." With that, the tall one gripped onto the rifle he carried under his coat.

"_You have no idea,"_ glared the wolf. He then took off in a flash.

"Get him!" charged Sydney, leading the way.

As the starved hunters pulled out their rifles, they shoved every other human out of their way in pursuit of their quarry. But the Arctic wolf proved to be quite the distance runner, jumping clearly over trashcans and metal fences like hurdles as he flew through the allies of the neighborhood. Birds took flight to make way for the runner, while the screams of startled cats and dogs passed by his ears. Once he was at top speed, Kiba was like a race car- or perhaps more like a bullet; nothing could stop him.

The hunters, on the other hand, had a secret weapon. When they lost sight of the wolf, they turned back to jump into their parked jeep and burn rubber. Their hunt was now limited to the streets, but with so many broken down buildings in the area, the wolf was bound to turn up somewhere. Sydney drove the vehicle while his friends Moth and Travis took aim in the window seats.

It was Travis, the black-mane elder, who first spotted the wolf in the jeep; Kiba was a distance away, scaling across a large cylindrical pipe connecting two towers of an old factory. "There he is," he grinned, as he quickly raised his rifle and opened fire. But Kiba would only feel a sharp breeze on the tip of his tail; the bullets had just missed him. Frustrated, Travis called out, "He's headed for the old dump, Sydney! Speed it up!"

Just as Travis had predicted, Kiba followed his nose past the factory and straight into a field of rubbish. Here, he was surrounded by piles of rubber, metal, and other sorted materials. Most of them were too high to jump over, and to unstable to climb over. He was left with no choice but to run the maze and hope for the best. In his panic, the white wolf nearly failed to hear the screeching sound of a vehicle skidding to a halt.

Now that they had arrived on the scene, the trio of hunters split up and dashed through the only open land they had in the sea of trash. Though their adrenalin was pumping, they were wise to trek softly and stealthily; there was no place for the wolf to hide, and soon there would be no more room left to run.

Kiba also slowed down, but only because he had burned most of his energy by this time. His nose and ears caught wind of footsteps drawing near, and he then knew he was in danger. So he decided to be sneaky and find a way to outsmart his predators. He sat down by a pile of totaled cars, some of which were shiny enough to cast reflections of the wolf. It fooled Sydney, who was coming up close behind him; the young man unwittingly fired his gun at nothing more than a car door, and Kiba took flight once again.

"Ah, crap. Travis, he's coming your way!" Sydney shouted, which gave Kiba a clue as to who to outwit next.

Travis was laying low around towers of car tires when he heard the call. He gripped tightly onto his rifle as the sound of paw prints came his way. Then suddenly, they fell silent. Confused Travis lifted himself up and turned his body all the way around to see signs of white fur anywhere. In truth, Kiba was right behind him; he slowly crawled up a pile of tires which dulled the sound of his paws, and now that Travis was caught off guard, the wolf pushed the car tires forward. Travis yelled in surprise as the pile of car tires behind him came crashing down on top of him. Kiba took off in a flash while tires rolled off in different directions.

Luck was on Kiba's side up until that point, but now he was about to meet his match. The sound of gunfire blasted his ears, stopping him in his tracks. He couldn't tell where the sound came from; its echo was bouncing off everything around him. Kiba was helplessly stunned as more gunshots rang out. This was the work of Moth, the old graying hunter. He chose to scale the highest hill of rubble to get a clear view of the white wolf, and now he had him in his sights. He took aim at the wolf's feet and fired; he intentionally missed so that the wolf would run in the direction Moth wanted him to.

"Travis. Sydney. He's in the food section." His voice carried across the field, and the other two hunters were quick to respond.

Kiba wandered into the smelliest area of the dump, where piles of garbage bags filled with discarded food made tall hills. Flies and seagulls were all over the place, and the sight of a creature like Kiba startled them all. Kiba tried to get out of there, but the more he moved the more the gulls screamed. They were signaling his location to the hunters. With no other options left, Kiba started digging into the garbage bags in hopes to bury himself in them. But it was too late, as Travis and Sydney cornered him.

"End of the line, big boy." Travis' gun aimed right for the wolf's chest area, while Sydney aimed for his hind leg. Kiba stared them off, and even glanced up at the older man aiming his gun at his face from high atop a mountain of trash.

"Have to admit," smirked Travis, "you gave us one helluva chase. We haven't had this much fun with our prey for some time now."

The Arctic wolf's golden eyes glared into his deep brown ones. _"I do hope you're enjoying this; 'cause in a moment, you'll be _my_ prey."_

With a flush of anger, Travis fired his gun. **BANG!**

Kiba took the hit, but managed to shift his body quickly enough so that only his back leg was injured. Despite the blood that flowed from his hide, Kiba lunged at Travis and sank his teeth into the man's face. Both Sydney and Moth stood in stunned silence as their friend fell on his back, howling writhing in agony as the wolf made a clear getaway out of the rubbish dump.

… …

"When Mother Earth was first born, she created many children- the beasts of the land, the birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea. In Her youth, all the world was a Paradise… until our Good Mother made her one and only mistake: she created Man.

"Man was once a beast himself, but one who had forsaken his fangs and claws for weapons and shields. Since then, mankind has broken off completely from their wild nature, walking upright and wearing clothes, leveling forests to build cities. And from there, they have only grown bolder and more aggressive, to the point where they are now tearing our planet apart.

"There are, however, a select few humans who may revert back to the way they once were, to live as beasts of the forest the way Mother Earth had intended for all of us… My brothers and sisters, we could be those beasts once again."

So said the red-robed leader of the secret society called The Red Moon's Children. They had all gathered in an underground hideout beneath a Christian church, where no one would suspect them. They gathered in a room with a long oak table surrounded by gothic stone walls, buttresses, and even a stained-glass window in the front, which had painted on it a large red moon basking in the night sky, over a blossoming lunar flower.

The leader of this human pack, whom they all referred to as "The Alpha," stood at the end of the table in front of the stained-glass window. Like all of the other monks, his face was hidden under a crimson red hood. Only his voice, soft and direct as it was, could identify him.

"True that we may be stuck in these imperfect human forms," his speech continued, "our friends in Stormhill have spoken to me today, telling me that they have made a breakthrough in the splicing of human and wolf DNA. If their studies prove correct, then we will use that DNA to reawaken the wolves in each of us."

"Praise the Red Moon," they all chanted in reply.

"But it will not be enough," he said. "Until our brothers return with The Flower in Aerzia, we can only wait and pray for our dreams to come true."

"We pray, Red Moon," again they chanted. "We pray You'll help us."

"Indeed, it will. The moon is our guide, and our messenger. It empowers all of Mother Earth's creatures, the wolf most of all. By devoting ourselves to the moon and to the prophesy of a new Paradise, we will prove ourselves worthy and undo the evils of our fellow man. Paradise awaits us!"

"Praise the Red Moon! Praise Paradise!"

… …

Kiba wandered for hours on a limp back leg, which was now half-covered in his blood. People who saw him could only stare in awe or move out of his way. None were brave enough to approach such a large and powerful creature. But now Kiba was right back where he started, quite literally, on the street where he first caught the scent of lunar flower.

He was slowing down, weakening, and feeling disoriented. He wondered what he was to do next; lie down? What if those hunters found him? What if someone took him to an animal center, or even a zoo? His mind was filling up with too many "What if's" at once, that he forced himself to enter a small park, the one place in this whole neighborhood with green grass and healthy trees. There, under the shade of one such tree, he collapsed. With any luck, he hoped, people would just assume he was dead and leave him be.

But one young boy, wearing a red blouse with tan khaki pants and dark leather boots, came up to the sleeping wolf and reacted as if he had struck gold.

…

_Darkness. The faint scent of the flower. Petals falling one by one like snow. The white wolf's senses were all blurred at first, but now along with these hazy visions came a soft female voice._

"…_Kiba… __Kiba…?"_

"_Ugh... Uh? …What's happened to me?" He could feel soft lunar flowers scattered around and under him, as though they were cushioning him as he slept._

"_You're dreaming, Kiba…"_

"_Who are you? …Where are you?"_

"_You must wake up now, Kiba. Wake up…"_

"_Wait."_

"_Wake up, Kiba…"_

"_Tell me your name."_

"_Kiba…"__ The voice faded into the darkness._

That's when the white wolf finally awoke from his deep sleep, groaning. His mental thoughts were also groggy; _"Uuuugh… Where… where am I?"_

Kiba's eyes fluttered as he slowly gained consciousness. Hours had past since he was knocked out cold. It was now late in the evening, and he could tell by the scent of fresh food in the air that he was indoors. It was the living room of a small house, but who's he wondered?

His nose then picked up a stronger scent- someone was sitting down right in front of him. He had to squint his tired eyes to clear his vision. What started out as a hazy blotch of brown, red and peach faded into the form of a young boy- the same boy who adopted a kitten in an alley and discovered the wolf in the park that same morning.

The boy giggled. "Heh-heh-heh! D'you always talk in your sleep, boy?"

"_Huh?"_

"It's okay. I can hear your thoughts; I can hear all animal thoughts. My mom thinks I've hung out with too many strays… My name's Toboe. What's yours?"

"_Uhh…Kiba…"_ Kiba, still weakened by his misadventure and now with bandages on his wounds, still tried to keep a sharp focus on the preteen. But as he had done so, he accidentally looked through the boy's human form and saw the beast within: a red wolf, no older than a year. _"…You're… You're a…"_

"So, the patient's finally awake!" came a female voice. Toboe looked up and saw that his mother entered the room, carrying a bowl of warm medicinal soup for Kiba. The young woman, whose eyes and hair color matched her son's, was dressed similarly to that of a classic Amish woman. She wore a light blue dress under a white apron, with sleeves that just barely touched her elbows, and a soft white bonnet over her pulled-back hair. Her most stunning feature so all was a set of four dazzling silver bracelets that hung from her right wrist.

The boy smiled up at her as he was laying on the floor in front of the injured wolf. "Mom, guess what! He's not a dog at all, he's a wolf and his name's Kiba!"

"That's nice dear," nodded the woman before kneeling down to Kiba's level. "Have him drink this, it'll numb his pain."

Toboe passed the bowl of soup to Kiba, who reluctantly took small licks to it. "I know," smirked Toboe, "it tastes like cabbage or something. But it's good for ya, boy." He couldn't help but give Kiba a gentle pet on his head.

"Toboe, you're not thinking about keeping him are you?"

Said the boy to his mother with a pout, "No, Mom. I wasn't gonna ask you."

"Remember that raccoon family you found in the neighbor's chimney? You promised you'd send them back to the forest. They were found in our garbage pails the next evening."

"Huh, yeah… Fancy that coincidence," blushed the boy.

"And the hawk, and the mice, and the kitten."

"What's wrong with the kitten, Mom?"

"Nothing, son. But if you want to keep it and all the other animals you pick up off the streets, then I suggest you make them nice shelters outside. We only have so much space in this little house."

Looking away from her, the boy sighed with a puss on his face. "…Okay, I'll make a cathouse tomorrow. I'll put it in the tree in our yard."

"That's good… Toboe, would you mind getting me some tea?"

"Sure thing, Mom."

As the preteen left the room, the woman quickly knelt down by Kiba. She had a certain look on her face, as if she was deeply worried. "…I know you can hear me, wolf. And I'm sure you know the truth by now."

"_The boy is a wolf… and so are you."_

"Yes. I've known now for some time, but Toboe doesn't know. I've been using my own telepathy to suppress his true form."

"_Why hide the truth from him? There's no shame in being what we are."_

"You're right about that, but you don't know what kind of city this is. We're living among hunters and fur traders; if Toboe ever showed his wolf form to them…" She hung her head in despair. "I can't even think about it."

"_He's going to find out sooner or later, and so will they. You both should leave this place if it's so dangerous."_

"Where would we go? Our livelihood is here, it's the only world we know of."

"_There are other worlds out there. I'm trying to find one for myself."_

"Listen, Kiba is it? I'm sure you're right about living wild and free, but until he's old enough-"

"Tea's here!" Toboe unwittingly interrupted as he reentered the living room. "…Mom? Were you just talking to Kiba?"

The young mother was quick to lie, "No dear, I was just checking up on him. He seems tired…" She then glanced back at the yellow eyes of the wolf, and in her inner voice she softly pleaded, _"Please don't tell him. He doesn't need to know yet."_

"_My lips are sealed,"_ the wolf replied half-jokingly.

… …

Thirty miles north of Aerzia City would take laid dense pine forest, one of the last of its kind on the continent. While it was relatively small for most wild animals, it was at least big enough for a wolf pack to be introduced. That was enough for a small group of animal researchers, led by a blonde-haired woman whose beauty was only matched by her strong will and love of animals. Her team of seven drove up to the edge of the forest in three vans, and in the back of each one were crates housing brown and golden-furred wolves. The scientist in charge of the release operation sat in the passenger seat of the first van, which was driven by her youngest but most enthusiastic employee.

As the van parked, the young raven-haired man in sunglasses turned to the woman beside him and smiled, "Well, this is it ma'am. You ready to let 'em go?"

As if entranced, the woman stared blankly out the window of the car door and sighed. "Heh… You'd think after all this time I'd be ready for this, Mick."

"She's a beautiful sight, ain't she?" mused her driver at the sight of the green wall of trees ahead.

"I just hope the kids think so."

Suddenly, a scientist from the second van came up to the woman's car door and gave it a tap. "Ms. Cher, we're unloading them now."

"Right," replied the blonde as she brushed back the bangs that dangled from her pulled back bun. "Let's do it."

Cher stepped out of the van slowly, as if reluctant to perform the task she had prepared herself for within the last three years. Her "kids" as she liked to call them were being slowly and carefully pulled out of the back of the vans while still within their crates. She watched with a heavy heart, as one wolf after another was let loose, collared, and sent running toward freedom.

Meanwhile, her young apprentice pulled the shades off his face to observe her reactions. "We're doing a good thing, ma'am. These animals deserve to be free after being cooped up in those so-called zoos."

The blonde forced a smile. "You're right, Mick. They might not even remember us after a few days; they'll just live out their lives as God intended… But you know, I'm still worried about him."

"Oh," smirked Mick; "your boyfriend."

She giggled. "Please! He's not my boyfriend."

"But you swoon whenever you see him. Honestly, what do you see in him? …If you don't mind me asking."

"He's just different, is all. He needed special care when he came to me; thin as a pole as he was. I wasn't even sure he was going to make it the first few days."

"If only he knew how you felt…"

"There's my special boy!" cheered Cher, as she gleefully approached the wolf in the last crate. The one who was once thin as a pole and diseased was now a chubby young adult with the liveliness of a young pup. As soon as his crate was opened, the golden-fleeced wolf danced around Cher, barking and wagging his big fluffy tail like a dog.

The woman dropped down to one knee to hug her most special prodigy. "…Now Hige, you're going to be a wild wolf now with your cousins," she softly said to him in a motherly voice. "You're not going to need me anymore."

Puzzled, the wolf cocked his said and hummed, "Arr?"

One of Cher's co-workers passed to her the last radio collar. As she fastened it around Hige's broad neck, she said with a forced smile, "There's a good boy, Hige… Now this collar will be your guiding light. Whenever we want to see you again, we'll use the signals emulating from here to track you in the wild… Heh, listen to me, telling you all this technical stuff as if you'd understand… But anyway, let this collar be as a reminder of me, and hope that one day we might meet again." Still unsure of his future, Cher wrapped her arms around the wolf and cooed, "I do hope we meet again, Hige. You're my favorite boy."

As if reading her thoughts, the wolf gently licked her cheek before following his zoo-bred cousins into the deep and dark woods. Cher had to wipe away a tear from her eye as he disappeared from her sight.

Mick stood beside her and patted her back. "He's free now, ma'am. We did the right thing."

Cher glanced back at him with a willing smile; "Yeah, I know… Thanks, Mick. We should all get back to base and test out the radio collars." Without a moment's hesitation, her crew picked up the empty cages and carried them back to the van. Before she reentered her ride, Cher took one last look at the woods. She was awestruck at how forbidding the trees appeared, as if they were purposely blocking her from her "children."

… …

Kiba, still favoring a bandaged leg, watched with interest as his new friend Toboe fashioned a cat house made of sticks in his backyard. The boy knew nothing of carpentry- what wolf does?- but he was resourceful enough to steady the little fort with leaves, mud and stones. When he finished it, the boy took a step back and wiped the sweat off his brow.

"Well, whaddya think?" he asked the Arctic wolf nearby.

Kiba cocked his head. _"It's not bad, for a cat anyway."_

"You think he'll like it?" Toboe then whistled for his new pet. "Kitty! Come'ere, Kitty."

As the curious kitten approached his new home, Kiba's thoughts came through to boy's mind again. _"You know, Toboe, I really should be getting back to my journey soon."_

Toboe frowned as he turned back to the wolf. "You mean… you're not staying?"

"_I can't… Don't get me wrong, I like it here. It's just that… it's not my home."_

"Oh. I get it." Toboe sat down in front of Kiba with his legs crossed, as if expecting a long conversation to start. "So, where do you live, Kiba?"

"_To be honest with you, I'm not really sure I have one. You see, I've been wandering around for so long, searching for something."_

"For what?"

The wolf turned his head, as if ashamed. _"You'll think it's silly."_

"No I won't!" smiled Toboe. "I promise, if you tell me I won't laugh at all."

"_Alright,"_ thought Kiba. _"…Do you know what a lunar flower is?"_

"Lunar flower? No, never heard of it."

"_It's a pure white flower that only blooms under a full moon. Its scent is the sweetest in all the world."_

"Wow," mused Toboe as he leaned his chin on his arm.

"_I've been following its scent ever since I came to this city. I feel like… like it's calling me, like it's pulling me like a force of gravity."_

"Gee…"

"_There's something else, too. I've been having strange dreams about a young woman lately. She keeps calling me, as if she wants me to find her. The strangest part about it is, I've never seen her before. I don't even know her name."_

"…Maybe she's your owner," guessed Toboe innocently.

The wolf couldn't help but chuckle under his fierce figure. _"No, that can't be it… But she does seem something to me, I just don't know what yet. But I have to keep looking for her if I'm ever going to find out what it all means."_ The wolf's thoughts paused as he noticed a hypnotic stare in the boy's face. _"What's wrong?"_ he thought.

"Nothing," shook Toboe's head. "I just think that's really interesting. And I wish I could help you find that girl, Kiba. I'll bet she's someone from your past."

"_You may be right,"_ thought Kiba. _"I've forgotten much of my past already. Ever since I've smelt that flower…" _He then decided not to think of the subject anymore; he was afraid of concerning the boy even more. The wolf then leaned forward; _"Well, it seems your friend likes his new den."_

Toboe glanced behind him, and sure enough the kitten was curled up at the front of the makeshift cathouse. "Hey, lookit that!" giggled the boy in victory. All at once, his concern for Kiba faded away, and all was right in the world again.

Meanwhile, the boy's mother stood behind the open window of the kitchen. She had overheard their whole conversation, and was growing ever more curious about her wolf visitor.

…

That evening, the small family and their visitor had a helping of ducks, which Toboe believed to have been bought at the market, but were in fact preyed on by his wolf mother. By then, Kiba's leg had fully healed and his young friend removed the remaining bandages on his body. Yet the Arctic wolf remained with them long after the sun had set; he had grown so fond of the boy that he felt compelled to stay until Toboe went to bed for the night, then he would quietly sneak away.

Toboe's mother, however, had plans of her own. She waited until her son went outside to feed his cat in the backyard before the wolf in woman's clothing said to the white wolf, "Sit down, Kiba. We need to talk."

While the fireplace's light cast two wolf shadows on the wall, the two sat opposite each other in the living room. Toboe's mother had her back to the entrance to the dining room, almost forgetting that her son could walk in on them at any moment.

"I understand you'll be leaving us tonight," she said to the white wolf.

"_I hope you don't think I'm being rude,"_ his replied telepathically. _"I really appreciate all that you've done for me."_

"Oh, it's quite alright," replied the woman. "We wolves should stick together, after all…"

"_You will tell Toboe the truth, won't you?"_

"Which truth? That he and I are wolves disguised as humans? …Yes, I intend to tell him when the time is right."

"_If he doesn't know soon enough, he may not be able to change into his true form. He may stay human, as many folks in this city have."_

"That's their choice though, isn't it?"

"_That's true… but it's also a tragedy."_

"Be that as it may, Kiba, we have to accept the way things are. Which brings me to why I've summoned you here; I need to know something: What is it you really want?"

The white wolf paused only for a moment before his thoughts gave a straight answer: _"To live freely without rules, to roam as I please with no cares and no problems."_

The woman smiled. "Hmm… There was a time when we wolves could run free. Times sure have changed."

"_Have they?"_

"Well… there are stories that tell of a time when life will revert back to the way it used to be." As she said this, she the she-wolf let her guard down long enough to finally cast off her human form. She soon became what she was all along; an adult female red wolf. All that remained of her human guise were the four silver bracelets on her right forearm.

"_I used to tell Toboe the fairy tales that I've grown up with; they speak of a land where there is no war, no cities and not even disease, where animals of all kinds could live in peace… They call this place 'Paradise.'_"

The white wolf's ears perked up. _"Paradise…?"_

"_Have you never heard of it?"_ wondered the she-wolf. _"It's supposedly the last great Paradise on Earth… and the only way to get there is to follow the scent of lunar flowers."_

Kiba stilled with surprise; it was as if the she-wolf's words put an ease to his troubled mind.

The she-wolf's yellow eyes softened. _"So… you are The One."_

"_I beg your pardon?"_

"_I've heard you speaking with my son earlier about lunar flowers. Only the Chosen Wolf is said to be driven by those flowers, and that their scent will guide him on the road to Paradise. …I knew there was something different about you, Kiba. But I never imagined just how different."_

"_I'm nothing special,"_ Kiba's mind disagreed. Suddenly, his eyes moved out of focus of the she-wolf. His attention was captured by something coming from the dining room area. Curiously, the she-wolf turned around; there standing by the open doorway was her son, holding the kitten in his arms and his eyes wide with shock. _"…Toboe!"_ she gasped.

The boy shook with fear and awe. "…M-mom?"

Without warning, the kitten in his arms started to hiss as its fur spiked up. It wasn't the wolves it feared, but whatever was behind the front door.

**Bang, bang, bang, bang!** "Open up in there!" came an aggressive voice from outside, as someone pounded their fist on the door.

Toboe's mother quickly got on her human feet; "I know that voice; it's Travis from downtown. He and his friends must have followed your trail, Kiba."

"_I'll handle this,"_ promised the white wolf as he too got to his feet.

"Wait…" pleaded the woman, but it was too late to argue. The white wolf walked up to the front door as calmly as ever while the agitated hunters continued to bang on the door. "Open up, we know you're home lady!" shouted one of them.

The three hunters had their rifles poised to fire as they stood outside the door. They were in for a surprise when the door was opened, and standing calmly behind it was a young man with wild black hair, aqua-blue eyes, a leather jacket over a white tee shirt, fine blue jeans and black shoes.

"…Can I help you gentlemen?" asked Kiba in his human guise.

Standing right behind the door was the old man named Travis, only his face was patched up in bandages from being bitten by the white wolf yesterday. He was in no mood to talk to a young stranger, but kept his anger in check long enough to say, "We're looking for a stray white wolf, kid. Where's the lady that lives here?"

"She's inside," replied the young man. "What do you want with her?"

Moth, the grey-haired man standing behind Travis, spoke up. "We just wanna ask her some questions. We've been asking everyone around here about the wolf. See, he bit ol' Travis here already, and there's no tellin' who else he may have attacked."

Wolves by nature were no liars; however, Kiba had no need to, as he let his illusion do all the lying for him. "Perhaps he attacked you because you attacked him first."

With his patience run out, Travis shoved Kiba aside; "Out of the way boy," he growled. With that, his cohorts Moth and Sydney followed him inside.

Toboe's mother moved in front of him as a shield and asked, "What do you men want?"

"We're lookin' for a white wolf," replied the hazy-eyed Travis, who was looking more wobbly than usual. "Some folks told us a young boy picked him up. Would this young fella be that boy?"

Toboe stood still in fear while his mother defended him; "There are lots of young boys in this city," she replied with her eyes narrowed. "How can you be sure my son is who you're looking for?"

The bandaged man approached her with fire in his eyes. "Don't toy with me, woman! I'm in no mood to play games here."

His friend Sydney was quick to grab Travis by the arm and pull him back. "Now quit it, Travis! You outta be takin' it easy, what with your injury."

"I'm fine," Travis snapped back as he shook off Sydney's hand.

"No you're not," argued Moth, "you're as drunk as a skunk."

"So what!? That sonuvabitch wolf bit down hard on me; you'd be drunk too if you knew how it felt!"

"I think you all need to take it easy," said Toboe's mother. "Here, you can sit down and eat here if you'd like."

"We ain't resting until we get that damn wolf," growled Travis.

Kiba stood quietly by the door all the while, his human projection still in charge. Sensing danger, he spoke up; "Is it really worth all of this grief just to catch one animal? He may have already left this city by now."

The drunken man turned around to face the young man again. "Are you saying it skipped town?"

"I'm saying it's a possibility."

After taking a quick look around the room, Moth concluded, "He's not here, boys, that's for sure. Come on, let's get out of here."

"Hold on," hissed Travis, who still focused on Kiba. He stepped closer to the teen, still wobbling in his step a bit. Though most of his senses had been dulled by alcohol, his sense of smell was fully in tact, and as he moved in closer to the teen, a familiar scent reached his nostrils. "…Have you and I met before, kid? You smell familiar."

"I've been around here for a while," admitted Kiba. "And now that you've mentioned it, I think you and I have crossed paths before."

"…You sound familiar too."

"Come on, Travis!" called Moth. "We ain't welcome here."

Travis' drunkenness was about to prove its merit, for the longer he stared at Kiba's human form, the hazier it became. Alcohol, it seemed, dulled the very senses that creatures like Kiba took advantage of. In a flash, the wild-haired young man morphed into a pure white wolf, and back again.

Travis jumped back in a fright and screamed, "It's him! It's the wolf!!"

"What!?" gasped Moth; no sooner than he said this, Travis whirled his rifle at Kiba and opened fire. "Travis, NO!"

**BANG!**

Kiba, still in human form, dodged the bullet with lightning-fast reflexes. With no other place to run, he jumped in front of the woman and small preteen that were caring for him. Travis' dazed vision once again uncovered the illusions, only now he saw three wolves in place of three humans. "Jesus, they're ALL wolves!" he gasped. "Shoot 'em all!"

"No!" roared Toboe's mother, as she pushed both Kiba and Toboe out of the way of Travis' gun. With his second shot, Travis managed to get a hit; Toboe's mother's blood spilt on the floor. "Mom!" yipped the young boy.

Moth grabbed hold of Travis' rifle and tried to pull it off of him, but the raven-haired hunter proved to be stronger. "Travis, stop it! You've lost your mind!" In one instant, the gun was aimed at Toboe's face, but his mother bared her fangs and lunged herself at it. With the third shot, the red she-wolf clung onto the gun and pushed it out of Toboe's way. The bullet ripped through the front window, shattering it to pieces. Kiba took the young preteen by the arm and pulled him toward the window; "Let's go!" he commanded. Without much resistance, Toboe allowed Kiba to pull him forward, and the two of them jumped out the window with hardly a scratch on them.

They were about to make a run for it, when Toboe stopped. "Wait! What about Mom!?" Kiba paused long enough to watch the she-wolf fly out of the window just as they did. "Hurry!" she yelled, leading the way. The three of them took flight just as the crazed hunter kicked the door wide open and fired numerous shots. None of them would reach their targets.

…

The three wolves in human clothing managed to make it to the very edge of the city, when the female's legs buckled underneath her. "Mom!" gasped Toboe, as his mother collapsed to the ground. He knelt down by her side and begged, "Mom, please get up. We've gotta take you to a hospital…"

The woman's glazed eyes looked up at him, and she slowly forced a smile. "…Toboe… My dear boy. I'm so sorry you had to go through this."

"It's gonna be okay," he whispered. "I'll get you to a hospital, and they'll take care of you."

"It's no good," she murmured back. "I… I'm all out of breath, Toboe… I can't go on."

"No. Please don't talk like that. You've gotta make it, Mom… Kiba, tell her she's gonna make it. Tell her!"

The older teen could only watch; lying was not his nature.

"Toboe… listen to me," whispered the bloodied woman. She slowly slipped the bracelets off her arm and held them up to her son's. "Take these… They're yours now. You can look at them _and remember me…"_ Toboe's eyes teared up as his mother's illusions melted away, revealing the beautiful wolf within. _"I should have told you the truth long ago… The truth is, son, we don't belong in the human world. We belong in the wild… as wolves… Does this form not frighten you?"_

Toboe gulped as tears fell from his eyes. "…No. No, I don't care _what_ you are. You're my Mom, and I can't… I can't be without you."

The she-wolf turned her head slightly to the one nearby. _"Kiba… If you are truly The One, and you're going to Paradise… please… take my son with you. …Promise me you'll keep him safe."_

The aqua blue0eyed young man gave her a solemn nod. "You have my word, ma'am."

"_He's my only son… my whole world…"_ Her thoughts fell silent.

"…Mom? …Mom??" Toboe trembled as his mother's eyes closed for the last time. He held onto her tightly, savoring the warmth of her fur for a moment, before finally letting out a sob. Kiba bowed his head in sorrow, and listened as Toboe's sobs morphed into wolf howls. All at once, the young boy was no more, and what remained was a yearling red wolf, howling at the night sky for the very first time. Kiba was all too obliged to join him in his mournful howls.

… …

That same night, the Children of Red Moon were greeted by their long-awaited bretheren, who placed the jarred lunar flower on the table in the conference room beneath the church. The Alpha's preaching resumed as his council of red-robed followers hummed in song.

"Behold, the flower; the one which will soon awaken the beast in all of us. The flower whose scent shall pave the way to Paradise, where evil and destruction shall exist no more…"

…

"_The days of mankind will soon be at an end, my brothers and sisters. He shall pay dearly for his complete disregard of our beloved Mother Earth and her most precious of creatures…"_

In a small town called Stormhill, miles away from Aerzia, a building was now in flames. Cher and her associates drove up to the building, which was their research lab just hours earlier. Someone had destroyed it, and they were now too late to salvage the wolf data they so feverishly preserved. As she approached the ashes, Cher's eyes caught the sight of a small piece of paper on the ground. When she picked it up, it revealed a strange sigma, one of a full red moon and a howling wolf in its center.

…

"_Soon we will tear ourselves from mankind, the lowest of all creatures, and be exalted into the worthiest form of all, for it is the Wolf and he alone who will open Paradise…"_

Deep in the heart of the wilderness, Hige's nose picked up the scent of sweet honey, the likes of which he had never smelled before. His heart skipped a few beats, as if he had found a new love. He turned his head upward to the moon and gleefully howled.

…

"_And once that Paradise is open, we can bid farewell to Man and his carelessness. He will disappear forever, along with the pain and destruction He has caused, never to return again. This is our ultimate goal as Children of Red Moon…"_

The white wolf climbed up a large hill that overlooked the sleeping city of Aerzia, and looked back only to see if his new charge was right behind him. Indeed, Toboe was, this time with his mother's bracelets strapped to his right leg. The young red wolf paused at the top of the hill to look back at the place he once called home. He needed a minute to say goodbye to it.

"…_Are you ready?"_ Kiba softly thought.

The young red wolf turned his head to his new guardian and gave him a nod. They were now on their way toward the wilderness, and toward a deep dense forest, and from there- hopefully- toward Paradise.

"_The Day of Reckoning is coming, my friends. Turn your ears to the wind, and you may hear it... It approaches like a violent storm."_

In the distance, thunder rolled.

TBC

Next, **"Of Wolf and Man"**


	2. Of Wolf and Man

"_Seek the wolf in thyself."_

-Metallica, "Of Wolf and Man"

**Wolf's Storm**

By Snodin

Based on "Wolf's Rain," created and owned by BONES

**Grope 2.**

"**Of Wolf and Man"**

The small town of Stormhill was often described as sleepy; that was because it was relatively small compared to a metropolis like Aerzia. But small and humble as it was, like all other human colonies, it had its dark side. In the evening, when the rest of the small suburban town slept, the underground erupted with the cruelest of pastimes: dog fighting.

Dozens of men of all ages entered one particular arena, in the basement of an old mill, to watch various dogs tear each other to pieces in an enclosed ring. They cheered as hounds bled; they exchanged money as lives were lost, and all the while one young adult canine was waiting for her turn to enter her own death-match. She sat quietly in her small kennel as her owner, a brunette teenager, spoke to the head official of the fights.

The older man glanced at the shadowed creature in the kennel, seeing nothing but her bright blue eyes, and made a look of disappointment. "I dunno, Bradley, this is your fourth dog in a month. You sure you got a winner this time?"

"Trust me Sam," replied the enthusiastic teen, "you won't be disappointed with this one. She's not like those other dogs, I swear."

"What's her breed?"

"Half shepherd, half husky," he replied confidently.

"Hmm… And you think she can take on a pit bull?"

"She's twice their size, man. Anyway, I trained her myself; she's ready!"

"Alright… She goes in the next match, against Bloody Mary. …What's her name, by the way?"

Bradley had to pause for a moment to think about the question; he had spent so much time training this new canine that he nearly forgot to name her. He took one quick look at her dazzling eyes and replied, "Blue."

"Fine, Blue it is then. …And you better be right about her, Brad. Bloody Mary's not a pup anymore, and I'm about to retire her. Make it a good match."

"Yes, sir."

In the background, a bell rung, signaling the end of another tragic match. Blue could hear the cheer of the crowds, but not the yelps of the dying hounds that were to precede her. Brad then unlocked her kennel, grabbed ahold of her spiked collar and dragged her into the open. She was completely black, as black as night; it was no wonder why her eyes were so striking. The only thing blacker than her mane was the makeshift muzzle on her snout. "It's time girl," said her careless owner. "Don't fail me now."

She was led into the corner of the bloodied ring, where she could clearly see the chestnut brown pit bull on the other side, seizing her up. The pit was no stranger to these contests, as her face and paws was deeply scarred. Her energy was so vital that it took two men to hold her back by the collar, lest she bounded toward her new opponent. Neither canine seemed to understand the meaning of what was going on; all they knew for certain was that their masters expected them to win.

"Ladies and gentlemen," announced the dogfight official, "presenting our next contenders: from Greenville, weighing in at nearly sixty pounds, thirteen-time champion, Bloody Mary! …And from right here in Stormhill, weighing in at over ninety pounds, a first-time contender, Blue!" The crows roared with delight at the sight of the new fighting dog; Blue kept her cool all the while. "Gentlemen," said the announcer, "release the dogs!"

When they were set loose, the two canines tore across the ring and met in the center with jaws wide open. Bloody Mary was the first to bite down, going for Blue's thick neck, and tried to pull her down to the ground. But Blue was indeed a fighter; she wrestled the pit bull until her jaws tired and let her go. Then she stood up on her hind legs and started to box at the older dog with her front paws, intimidating Mary with her size. Mary circled around Blue quickly, and attempted to snap at the big black dog's legs, but Blue was quick to leap into the air and completely cleared the smaller dog. The audience watched with their jaws slung open; never before had a dog jumped so high!

When she landed on the ground, Blue lunged at Bloody Mary and sunk her teeth into the older dog's neck. There was no way for the pit bull to escape; Blue's grip was like a bear trap. The longer she struggled, the deeper Blue's fangs entered her neck. There was hardly even room for Mary to bleed out. In less than a minute, Mary was on the ground, her life hanging by a thread as she lost more and more oxygen. But Blue was without remorse; this was her calling, this is what she was trained to do: Attack. Hold. Kill.

The audience watched in stunned silence as Bloody Mary gasped her last breath and died under Blue's feet. When she no longer felt the pit bull, pulse, Blue at last let go. She then looked up toward her owner, who stood by the corner she was held in, and silently begged for his approval. He was the first of many to applaud her.

…

The dogfight official who met with Brad earlier that night had summoned the young man to the secluded room behind the arena. Other officials were present as Bradley walked his black dog into the room, beaming with satisfaction. The officials, on the other hand, were not so happy to see him.

The teen approached his elder and smiled, "Well? What'd I tell ya? She's a champion alright."

"Yes… Yes, she did fast work on that old dog," replied Sam with a bitter look on his face.

Bradley could sense that something was wrong. "Hey, what's the deal? You wanted me to make you a champion, didn't you?"

"Where exactly did you get this dog?"

"Uh… I found her on the street. She was just a stray, and… well, I lost my other dog, and…"

"You trained her pretty well, would you say?"

"Of course I did! And you know something? I didn't really have to force her to go after other animals; she's a real natural!"

As Bradley explained himself, two other officials approached Blue for a closer look at her. Blue stood still, but glared at them with her icy blue eyes as if she smelled their disapproval.

"So," asked Bradley, now more nervous than before, "what's the problem, Sam?"

One of the older officials by Blue's side spoke up, "There's something not right about this dog. She looks like a shepherd, except for her size."

"And look at those paws," said the other examiner. "She can leap like a grasshopper; not something huskies are known for."

"What're you saying?" protested young Bradley; "that she's a mutt? There's nothing wrong with that, is there?"

"Young man," said the official on Blue's left, "are you aware of how close we are to the wilderness?"

"Uh… No?"

Said the official on Blue's right, "We're not but two miles west of Pristine Park, and there's been lotsa wolf sightings from out there. Did you know about them wolves, son?"

"Uh… Whadda they got to do with anything?"

Sam crossed his arms. "Brad, your 'dog' here might not be what you think she is. With those legs and those jaws… we have reason to believe she may be part wolf."

Said the older official, "We don't breed wolves for fighting, son. We don't use 'em at all. See, with their size and strength, we consider that an unfair advantage."

Bradley took a step back as he began to sweat. "Wait… Woah, woah, wait up! Nobody told me about that rule. And besides, I didn't know! I swear on my life I didn't know."

Sam gave a soft sigh and bowed his head. "I'll tell you what, kid: since you clearly had no idea of her breeding, I'll let you keep the money you won tonight." Brad sighed with relief before Sam went on to say, "But I'm warning you: if you ever try to pull a stunt like this again, we won't be so forgiving."

"Yes, sir. I understand, sir."

Sam then held out a huge wad of cash before throwing it at Bradley's feet. "Now take this mutt and your money, and get the hell out."

Brad was all too eager to scoop up the discarded cash, then tugged at Blue's leash to lead her out of the room and ultimately out of the building.

Sam then turned to his fellow dogfight officials. "Keep an eye on him, boys. I got a feeling this kid knew what he was doing all along."

… …

The town of Stormhill was not only home to underground brutality; it also had its law enforcement officers who had dedicated themselves to upholding the law. For many years, they had tried and failed to stop the illegal dogfights, but a new case was about to dawn on them.

On the morning after the night her lab was burned down, Dr. Cher Degre entered the police headquarters and approached the lead chief with the red moon sigma she uncovered at the scene of the crime.

The Chief, sitting at his desk, examined the sigma and made a conclusion. "Hmm. Yep. This looks like them alright."

"Who?" asked Cher with deep interest. "Who could have done this, chief?"

The pot-bellied balding man dressed in his deep blue uniform scratched his brow. "This looks like the symbol of that red cult. …Damn, what're they called? …Anyway, they're a cult nobody likes to talk about."

"What kind of cult?" asked Cher, her patience running thin. "Are they some kind of animal activists?"

"More like animal enthusiasts," replied the police chief. "But I never had a case where they destroyed property. Hell, they never really done anything wrong except scare a few people. Damn it, why can't I remember the name?"

"They're called Children of Red Moon," responded the voice of a young man entering the office. Cher turned and saw this tall handsome man in his twenties with light brown hair dressed in a light trench coat and a clean-cut suit, black tie and all. He politely took off his hat in the presence of the lady.

"Ah," mused the police chief. "Just in time, detective. Dr. Degre, let me introduce you to Detective Lebowski; he's one of our top undercover agents."

As he walked up to Cher's side, he smiled at her warmly. "You can call me Hubb."

"Lebowski's been trying to uncover reports of dog fighting," explained the chief; "but since no leads have come up, we can start right away on this vandalism case."

Cher leaned over the chief's desk and exclaimed, "This was more than just vandalism, sir; those people stole all of our data on the wolves we've been studying! Everything from the paperwork to the blood samples are gone."

"Did you say wolves?" interrupted the suave detective.

"Yes," she replied with narrowed eyes, "wolves. There were eight of them; we've set them free in the forest just yesterday."

"So they didn't steal any wolves," presumed Hubb.

"No… They wouldn't do such a thing, would they?" asked Cher with a look of worry.

Hubb explained calmly, "From what I here, they're really into wolves. They even refer to themselves as a pack, and their leader is called The Alpha."

"What more do you know of them?" questioned Cher.

Hubb then walked over to a file cabinet to fish out one particular envelope in the second drawer down, then presented it on the chief's desk. Inside the envelope was a black-and-white photo of a forty-something man with a dark complexion, a long pointy nose, squinty eyes and long slick dark hair. Hubb explained, "His real name is Preston Anderson, originally from Europe. According to his friends, his small town was destroyed in a civil war, and he's been hiding out here to start over. He founded the Red Moon cult over two years ago; I can only assume he's using it to make peace with himself."

Though she was interested in the story, Cher crossed her arms and sighed, "But that doesn't explain the wolf connection."

"Actually, it has a lot to do with the wolf connection," Hubb corrected her. "You see, wolves howl at the moon every night, and rumor has it these people worship the moon. And the whole 'pack' and 'Alpha' thing, well… there you go."

"You don't suppose they'd want to create their own pack of wolves, do you?" Cher guessed worriedly. "With enough blood DNA, they could clone the pack we've set free."

"Hmm," Hubb mused as he paused to think about Cher's words. "…Would that be such a bad thing? I mean, having more wolves in the world- isn't that what you want?"

"I'm a biologist, detective; I don't play God, I just study His creations."

Hubb cracked a nervous smile; "Gee, I was only trying to look on the bright side."

"Can you find them, detective?"

"I'll try… Like I said, I've just been hearing all the rumors. I don't know anyone who's actually involved in this cult except Anderson, and he's harder to find than a needle in a haystack."

The chief then rose to his feet; "Well then, Lebowski, this sounds like the perfect job for you. You up to it?"

"Of course I am," smiled the detective in salute. "You can count on me, Chief! …And don't worry, ma'am-"

"Doctor."

"Sorry. Doctor… I'll get that wolf DNA back to you as soon as possible. …Say, there wouldn't happen to be a name that goes with that 'Doctor,' would there?"

The chief rolled his eyes; "Lebowski?"

"Right, Chief! I'm on it. On the double." Hubb quickly placed his hat back onto his head and trotted toward the door. He had his hand on the doorknob when the detective peeped, "There's not a 'Mister Doctor,' is there?"

"NOW, Lebowski!"

"Yessir!" Hubb slammed the swinging door as he flew by it.

The chief sat back down in his chair and let out a deep sigh. "Ah… I'm sorry about him, Dr. Degre; he's not quite as polite as he seems."

Cher couldn't help but smile; "It's alright… He seems like a nice guy. I trust him."

… …

Far beyond the harshness of human life, a small yet peaceful pine forest dwelled. A male deer was drinking from a pool that afternoon, when suddenly a white blur shot from the darkness of the woods. In an instant, he was choked by an Arctic white wolf; birds took off in flight in reaction to the kill.

Nearby, young Toboe stepped out of the shades and watched in horror as Kiba, his newly-appointed guardian, was finishing off the buck. He cringed as Kiba looked up toward him, blood dribbling from his mouth.

"What's wrong?" called out Kiba in his much less ferocious human guise. "Aren't you hungry, Toboe?"

The rusty-haired preteen slumped up against a pine tree trunk and uttered, "Uh… um… I was just thinking, Kiba. Sh-shouldn't we just keep going?"

"It can take us a week to get out of these woods. We'll need our strength. Come on, eat up."

Toboe turned away. "I'm not that hungry."

There was a pause, but Kiba wasn't about to let his young charge starve. He quickly ripped off the buck's back leg and presented it to the boy. "It's good meat," he insisted.

"Kiba, please…" Toboe moved back, disgusted by the sight of the deer meat.

The elder teen was puzzled. "Is it because I killed it? …Toboe, we're wolves. We have to hunt in order to survive."

The boy bowed his head in shame. "It just doesn't seem right… Why do we have to kill?"

"I know… It doesn't feel right at first. But you have to understand, this deer gave his life for us."

"Not by choice."

Kiba was a patient wolf, which worked in both his own and Toboe's favor. The pup was lucky to be with someone with such a capacity for understanding. The older teen smiled, "You don't have to eat this is you don't want to… but you do have to eat something."

The boy got to his feet and replied, "I'll go fishing by the river. People fish all the time… I won't feel as guilty." The young red wolf then turned around and headed into the woods, leaving Kiba alone with his kill.

"Ah, I remember that age… at least I think I do."

…

The river was small but fast-flowing, perfect for migrating fish to follow. Toboe did as he said he would and followed the smell of running water to this place, where he thought he was alone. He stood by the edge of the river to search for the shadow of a fish, but each time he saw one, his lupine jaws would miss it by mere inches. After trying to fish for ten minutes, he was becoming frustrated. But one fish would not be as lucky; Toboe's muzzle missed it, but instead of swimming the fish leapt out of the water. Toboe managed to push it onto shore, where it struggled madly for air. It was his for the taking.

Toboe was just barely enjoying his meal, when he heard an uneasy growl behind him. He nervously turned his head around, just in time to see a big brown blue with fangs coming toward him. The pup leapt out of the way of the charging animal, which turned out to be a wolverine intent on stealing his fish. Caught by surprise, Toboe was powerless to stop the smaller carnivore from snatching up the prey.

"Hey, that's mine!" snapped Toboe. "Gimmie that!" But the wolverine hissed at him in response. Intimidated at first, Toboe was now peeved and dared to approach the animal. "I said give that back. I'm a wolf you know, and I can take you on!" How wrong he was. The wolverine let out a squeal before snapping its jaws at the pup. Toboe yelped in fear and backed away, but the wolverine kept coming for him until it cornered him by a tree.

Just as the pup felt he was done for, a much larger creature jumped out from the bushes nearby and shoved the wolverine away from Toboe. The young red wolf looked up in amazement at the golden-fleeced wolf with the radio collar that had suddenly come to his rescue. It snarled at the wolverine, who now directed his fury at the big wolf. The two of them chased each other into the bushes, where there was much growling and tussling of leaves. Toboe stayed in a fetal position while the battle continued out of sight. Eventually, the wolverine emerged from the brush, but it had lost its courage and took off in flight.

From out of the bushes stepped a tall young man with bright tan, poofy hair, wearing a yellow hooded sweatshirt over a black long-sleeved tee. His baggy light-colored pants covered the bulk of his legs, while one could detect a slight bulge in his belly- he was clearly out of shape. Strangest yet about this character was the fact that he was wearing the same exact radio collar that the golden wolf was. He dusted his hands in triumph as he smirked, "Hmph! That takes care of that."

Toboe had to blink a few times to see if he wasn't dreaming; he could tell right away that this young man was the golden wolf that saved him! "You…" he muttered; "…you're just like…"

"Hmm?" hummed the chubby young man curiously. He then gave Toboe a big smile; "Oh, hey! Don't worry, that little punk won't bother you anymore."

"Why did you save me?"

"Hey-hey, anything for the little lady," replied the big wolf in man's clothing, giving Toboe a gentlemanly bow. "The name's Hige, miss. And you are…?"

"…uh…" Toboe blinked in puzzlement. "…Who, me? I'm Toboe, and I'm-"

"Toboe?" laughed Hige. "That's a strange name… but hey, who am I to judge. It's a pleasure to meet you, young lady." He then extended his hand (or paw) in friendship, or perhaps in courtship.

Toboe was about to respond, when Kiba ran into the scene. "Toboe! I heard a noise; are you alright?"

"Oh, she's with you huh?" asked Hige, the tallest of the three. "Let me guess, your little sister?"

"Huh?"

"Please say she's your sister, 'cause if she's your girlfriend-"

"I'm not a girl!!" yelled Toboe angrily.

"…Wha??" Hige exhaled in surprise. Confused by the young boy's lengthy hair and puppy-like eyes, he had no choice but to lean in and use his trusty nose to detect pheromones… and much to his disgust, there was none. "YAUGH! WHAT THE HELL!" he screamed, jumping ten feet away from Toboe. He then shook himself furiously; "Ew, ew, ew, ew, EW! That's just not right!! What's wrong with you!?"

Kiba couldn't help but giggle; Toboe on the other hand couldn't be more mortified. "What's wrong with _you_!? You couldn't tell a boy from a girl? I thought it was obvious."

"Well," explained the disheartened Hige, "you've_ obviously_ got long hair, and you obviously wear jewelry. So…"

Toboe then glanced down at his bracelets and explained, "These are a family heirloom. And besides, who're you to judge me? You're wearing a necklace!"

"It's not a necklace, it's a _collar_. There's a difference, Missy!"

"Alright, that's enough!" barked Kiba, stepping in between them. "Look, I apologize on my friend's behalf. We didn't mean to start off on the wrong foot. I'm Kiba, and this is Toboe. We're on our way to Paradise."

"Paradise?" mused Hige. "Isn't that like an old fairy tale or something?"

"You know about Paradise?" blinked Toboe.

"Well sure, Susie! What wolf doesn't?"

"Then you should come with us," suggested Kiba softly.

"What?"

"What!?" exclaimed Toboe. "He can't come with us!"

"Why not?" asked Kiba. "Paradise is for everyone."

But Hige held up his hand negatively; "Not me, pal. My cousins and I have already settled here, and we're not movin' for anything, not even Paradise."

Kiba's eyes narrowed, as if he was dumbfounded by Hige's decision. "Is that so? …May we speak with them?"

Hige slipped his hands in the pockets of his sweatshirt. "Sure, I'll take you to them," he replied. "This way, friend." He then gestured to Toboe with a small bow; "Ladies first."

"Oh shuddup," growled the pup as he clenched his fists. He then followed close behind Kiba as Hige led the way.

… …

Meanwhile, back in Stormhill, a small pup was where one could find Detective Hubb Lebowski at work. He sat by himself at the bar, ordering nothing more than a cola- he wasn't the kind of man that could hold his liquor. But the bartender, an overweight man with a bandana over his balding forehead, was curious about this customer.

"Say, are you from around here buddy?" asked the tan-skinned bartender.

Hubb cracked a smile, "Jess passin' through," he spoke in a fake dialect. "Say, I've been hearing some talk about a cult living around here. You know about it, mister?"

The bartender just shrugged, "Haven't heard anythin' about a cult, no. Why d'you ask?"

"Oh," replied the detective, "I'm the curious type o' guy, that's all." He then sipped his drink, unaware that a man in dark clothing was eavesdropping from across the room.

"So what kind of cult is it anyway?" asked the curious bartender.

Hubb replied, "Oh, something about a red moon- they prob'ly howl at it ev'ry night or somethin'. Heh. But hell, ev'rybody's lookin' for answers nowadays ain't they?"

"Answers from the moon?" laughed the bartender. "If it's full does that mean they gotta eat 'till they burst, and when it wanes they starve?" Hubb joined him in his laughter, hoping someone in the room would pick up on their conversation. Sure enough, one man did; the tall lanky man sitting in the corner gave a look of disgust and approached the laughing fools.

With a slam of his hand on the bar, the dark man growled, "We ain't worshippin' the moon, per say. She's just part of the equation, signaling the coming of The Apocalypse."

"Oh!" smiled Hubb, realizing he had struck a chord with a true cult member. "So it's all about the end o' the world, eh?"

"It ain't no laughin' matter," the man grit his teeth. "The end is comin' soon, folks, and the only way to avoid it is to find Paradise. Our leader, The Alpha, knows how to get there."

"What, you mean to tell me there's some kind o' safe haven while the rest of the world rots away and dies?" asked the doubtful bartender.

"It's Heaven on earth," explained the cultist. "It's like the ol' Garden of Eden reborn, or somethin'."

"So you don't really know for sure," Hubb tested him.

"The Alpha knows… Look, I can take you to him if you wanna know the whole deal behind the Children of Red Moon."

Hubb couldn't help but smile; at last, a breakthrough. He got to his feet and said, "You know what? I think I would like to meet this Alpha character."

"You can't be serious," frowned the bartender. "There's no tellin' what these cult freaks'll do to ya. For all you know you'll be bathin' in blood."

"Nonsense," reassured the cultist. "All we do is wait for the moon to turn red, then follow the path to Paradise." He then turned to the curious Hubb and grinned, "Come with us; you'll be glad you did. We'll all survive while the rest of these low-lives bite the dust."

Hubb tightened up his trench coat. "Okay, friend, you sold me. Lead the way to Paradise."

As the two men walked off, the bartender called out a warning: "You'll be sorry, my friend! Those freak shows are never any good!"

…

As Hubb and his associate walked away from the pub, they passed by a young man walking a muzzled black dog with icy blue eyes. Bradley had already lost his chances at one dog-fighting ring, but now he was about to press his luck at another.

The sly teenager made his way to a small barbershop and knocked on its front door. A tall elderly man answered it; "You here for an appointment?"

"Actually," grinned Bradley, "I was wondering if Marcus was in."

The elder man raised his eyebrows, recognizing the code. "Marcus? What's a young kid like you want with him?"

"Just tell 'im I got a dog here that he'd like to see. She's a purebred German Shepherd, and… well, just let 'im see her."

"…Okay, wait here." The elderly man then closed the door to the shop, leaving Bradley to await his new boss. He eagerly stroked Blue's head as they waited. "This is it, big girl. Now you just do your thing tonight and we'll make off with millions," he purred to her. The wolf-dog, all the while, kept her cold demeanor. She wasn't sure if her master was doing right or wrong; all she was certain of was that she pleased him.

Then without warning, the barbershop's door swung open again; this time a man in his thirties peeked out. "What do you want, kid?"

"Are you Marcus?"

"Yeah, that's me."

"I'm Bradley, and this is my dog Blue. She's a purebred German Shepherd, sir."

"Is that right?" The muscular man stepped outside and knelt down to examine Blue closely. "Hmm… She's got lots o' muscle, this one. …Lemmie see her teeth." Bradley then unfastened Blue's muzzle and pulled her lips back to expose her long fangs. "Geeze," chuckled Marcus; "you feed her wild boar or somethin,' kid?"

"Heh-heh-heh," giggled Bradley. "Yeah, she can probably sink her teeth into one if I let 'er."

Then Marcus unexpectedly dropped his façade. "Bradley, huh? …I heard that name somewhere before. …Yeah, my buddy Sam told me there was a kid that showed up at his ring last night with a black wolf-dog, posing her as a Shepherd mix. …Funny thing is, he also mentioned the animal having bright blue eyes."

Realizing the error in his ways, Bradley's face dropped from confident to fearful. His face flushed white and sweat-beads appeared on his brow.

"You wouldn't happen to be the same punk, now would you Bradley?"

"Uh… uh… N-now that you mentioned it, I got this dog from some other kid. Yeah, yeah his name was uh… um- S-Stanley. Yeah, he said he didn't want this dog anymore, so he let me have it. See?"

Marcus' stone-cold stare was enough to send chills down the boy's spine. "You ain't foolin' nobody, you gutless money-stealin' punk." With that, he pulled out a cellphone from under his shirt and pressed one button on it. In an instant, he reached a number which Bradley would dread: "Sam, he's here, at my shop! Round up the boys!"

Quickly, Bradley pulled off Blue's spiked collar and yelled, "Run, Blue! Run for it!!" As the boy took off in flight, his trusty wolf-dog followed closely behind. The chase was on.

Wherever they turned, be it an alleyway or an open street, Bradley and Blue were faced with one or two thugs from either Sam's or Marcus' gangs. Blue would at times tackle them to unblock the path, but for the most part they just turned tail and went in another direction. But it was no use; they couldn't run forever, because the whole city seemed to be owned by the dog-fighting gang lords.

At one point, Bradley called out, "Keep running, Blue! Don't stop, just keep running!" It was all the commanding she needed; Blue doubled her speed so that she went way ahead of her master. She ran so hard, she finally broke free of the gangsters that tried to grab her. She was loose now, running free. But then, something stopped her in her tracks: the sound of gunshots. _**Bang! Bang-bang! Bang!**_ Blue turned around to look for her master; but alas, he was gone from her sight. For a moment, she was frozen with fear and worry; did they shoot him? Was he dead? What would that mean for her??

…But then she remembered his last command: _"Keep running." _And so, she did. Without looking back ever again, Blue the wolf-dog ran straight out of the town of Stormhill.

… …

By sunset, just a few short hours after losing her one and only acquaintance, Blue the wolf-dog found herself snuck into the back of a cargo truck en route to a new city. The truck was passing by the edge of the beautiful pine forest of Pristine Park when she awoke from a short nap. At first, the scent of pine in the air only stirred her interest a little, but then her ears perked up to the sound of distant wolf howl.

"_Awo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o!"_

Intrigued, Blue lifted her head and looked to the tall trees. Another howl moaned, coming from somewhere behind the trees: _"Awo-o-o-o-o!"_

Driven by instinct, if nothing else, Blue carefully jumped from the back of the truck just as it was slowing down to make a turn. With no other place to go, the blue-eyed wolf-dog charged into the forest, perhaps with the hope that she could find her place there.

…

"Hello-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o!" howled Hige, as he and his two new friends slowly walked down a grassy hill. "Hello-o-o-o-o! Scruff! White-Tip! Cinnamon! Where are you guys!?"

"Maybe they don't like strangers," replied Kiba in his usually soft voice.

"Maybe they don't like Hige," joked Toboe as he trailed behind.

Insulted, the tall teen with the poofy tan hair jerked his head back at the runt. "Hey. They're my cousins, alright? Of course they like me! You just better hope that Brutus doesn't make the same mistake with you that I did, kid, 'cause if you're not a bitch now he'll make you one."

Taking this as a challenge, Toboe quickened his step and came up right behind Hige. "This is the illusion I came with, alright? I can't help it if I look a little feminine. Besides, if we're gonna name each other based on appearance, then your name should be Crap-Face."

"Say what!?" barked Hige, stopping Toboe in his tracks.

"Yeah," the runt lashed back. "'Cause your face looks like crap."

"Toboe!" barked a disapproving Kiba. "I thought we agreed on no more fighting. Just keep walking."

As the smallest and youngest stared each other down for a moment longer, Toboe dared to say, "Well? Lead the way, Crap-Face."

"After you, Mary Sue." With that, Hige turned behind Toboe and gave him a swift kick in the pants. It was enough to send the runt skidding on his belly down the rest of the hill, whimpering. Kiba could only sigh and shake his head at their antics; it would seem that some pups would never grow up.

With Hige walking closely by his side, Kiba changed the subject: "So, where did you get that collar anyway?"

"Oh, this?" smiled Hige as he proudly wrapped his index finger around the metal band of his overgrown collar. "This was a present to me from my Aunt Cher. She gave one to each of us so that whenever she wants to see us again, she can use this do-hickey thing underneath here and track us down."

"A tracking device?" mused Kiba curiously. "Wouldn't it just be easier if you howled to her?"

"Eh-heh," giggled Hige, brushing his hair back. "See, that's the thing… she's not wolf, she's human."

"What!?" Toboe, his red blouse now covered in grass stains, rushed up to Hige's side in surprise. "You mean to tell me you were raised by a human??"

"Well yeah… It's kind of a long story."

"Go on," said Kiba as he and the others stopped walking.

Hige cleared his throat as he began to explain. "Well, my pack and I were once bred in captivity- have you ever heard of a zoo? …Well, that's where we were living for a while, except the place became all worn down and stuff. We started running out of food, some of us were falling ill… Then Aunt Cher and her team of scientists came along, adopted us and took us to a much better enclosure where they nursed all of us back to health. And then get this, they brought us all out here so we can live free! Of course she does plan on visiting us from time to time, hence the radio collars…" Hige noticed the stone cold looks on his new friends' faces and became uneasy. "What? Is it wrong to be that close to a human?"

"No," shrugged Kiba; "just unusual. I've never heard of such a thing as humans adopting wolves."

Hige then turned to the small boy beside him and asked, "What about you, runt? Why so quiet?"

Toboe had his head down, hiding the sadness in his eyes, while replying with, "I was just thinking… It's good to know there are good people out there. Ones that don't wanna hurt us…" He then glanced up at the curious Hige and turned away in shyness. "Nevermind."

"Uh, guys?" Kiba peeped worriedly as he looked forward. "We've got company."

The trio stood still in awe as shadows appeared from behind the trees and brush all around them. They watched as glowing eyes revealed wolves of all sizes, gender and colorations stepping slowly into the light of the open area, seven in total. The shades of their pelts varied from dark grey to brown, and all shades in between. In fact, the only thing about them that remained constant were the matching radio collars on their necks, the same as Hige's. While Kiba and Toboe appeared awestruck by these large canines, Hige smiled warmly at them. These were, no doubt, the brethren of the tall teen in the yellow sweatshirt.

They gathered together at a rock formation; their leader, Brutus- the biggest and darkest-colored of all-stood at the very top of the rock like a king surveying his new subjects.

"Brutus," smiled Hige as he stepped forward. "Let me introduce you to my new friends: this is Kiba on the left, and Toboe on the right. They came all the way from a big city looking for Paradise."

"_Is that a fact?" _asked the thoughts of big brown Brutus. He then turned his nose up at Kiba; _"There is a certain air about you, young fella. Where exactly did you come from?"_

"I'm not sure myself, sir," admitted Kiba. "All I know is that I've been following the scent of lunar flowers, and they've brought me here."

The big alpha male laid down on his belly in a more relaxing posture. _"Strange that you would have no memory, yet you know exactly where you're going… Still, I can fill you in on a little fact: there are lunar flowers growing north of this forest, in a small human-populated village."_

Toboe hopped with joy. "Ho boy! Can you believe it, Kiba? We're finally gonna get our first smell of lunar flowers."

"_I must ask you young fellas something,"_ thought Brutus. _"Why not stay here with us in this beautiful forest?"_

Toboe's joy soon fell to shock; likewise, Kiba's eyes narrowed in response to the alpha wolf's suggestion. Suddenly, Brutus and his pack all changed into their human guises, most of which with sweatshirts, jackets and other wintry attire that matched the seasonal style of Hige. Brutus himself appeared to be the oldest of the group; his human hair was long, wavy and grey, and his face was slightly wrinkly.

"I ask you this," explained Brutus, "because we are not so willing to search for Paradise. We have lived in confinement for so long that this forest has become all the paradise we'll ever need. We're not willing to give it up and search for something we may never even find."

Kiba replied as coolly as ever, "This place is beautiful, but it's not for me. I don't have the sense of belonging here as you do… but I do appreciate your generous offer."

"Young fella," frowned Brutus, "no one knows if or when Paradise will reveal itself. No one even knows for certain if it exists."

"Oh, it exists alright."

"How can you be so certain?"

"…My heart tells me so."

"If you were to find a place where humans and wolves can co-exist and never have to worry about going hungry or be killed, it still wouldn't be enough for you?"

"If such a place exists, sir, I'm sure it can be its own kind of paradise… But I don't know if I'll belong there unless I find it."

"_Hmm,"_ nodded Brutus, back in his wolf form. _"And what about your young friend there? Is he going with you, or would he like to stay here?"_

Kiba turned to Toboe, who bent his head down in deep thought. Though he didn't know Kiba for that long, he was already starting to feel attached to him. On the other hand, this forest was as pristine as its namesake claimed; wolves could truly live in peace in such a place. But still, there was the hope of Paradise…

"Toboe?" Kiba peeped, catching the pup's attention. "You can stay here if you want; these wolves will welcome you into their pack since you're so young. And besides, I promised your mother that I'd keep you safe, and I'm sure you will be safe here."

Toboe's puppy eyes drooped; just the mentioning of his mother tugged at his heart. But the pup's response would come as a surprise to everyone: "Kiba, I'm going wherever you are… I want to help you find Paradise, 'cause I feel like I owe you for saving my life."

"I didn't save you, Toboe, your mother did. She saved us both."

The pup nodded, "That's all the more reason to keep going. She wanted both of us to reach Paradise. So… that's my decision."

Kiba seemed to be frowning, but in fact he felt very honored by the pup's decision. He was starting to have doubts about Toboe's endurance, and knowing that they'll have to travel farther than any wolf before them, he wasn't sure his young charge would make the journey. "It could be dangerous," he said almost threateningly.

"I'm not worried. I'll be with you," smiled the pup.

Hige, meanwhile, was beginning to feel touched by the budding relationship between Arctic and red wolf. He smiled at Toboe's latest remark; he was starting to respect the kid's spunk.

"_If that is your decision then,"_ nodded Brutus, _"I bid the two of you farewell. Hige and I will lead you out of these woods; from there, you'll see an open field and mountains in the distance. Follow your noses from there."_

Kiba bowed slightly in respect, "Thank you for your help, Brutus."

"_It's my pleasure… Chosen One."_

With that, Hige and Brutus quietly led the way for Kiba and Toboe. The tall teen felt a certain degree of sadness in knowing he wouldn't spend much more time with these quirky new friends of his.

… …

That same evening, The Children of Red Moon had gathered in their usual hiding place underneath an old church. As usual they sat around a very long table, with only one item in its center: the jarred lunar flower that was taken from Aerzia city. This time, there were a few more red-robed members, all but one a lost soul looking for a new family or for a way out of their miserable lives. The only one there without a lost cause was Detective Lebowski, who had already called for backup while no one was looking. He would have a long wait ahead of him, but while he did so The Alpha- alias Preston Anderson- would speak in front of the group at the head of the table.

"Before we begin with tonight's ceremony, let us welcome our new brothers and sisters into our pack. Those of you who have recently joined our ranks, please rise."

Among the four that stood up from their chairs was Hubb, now donning his own red robe.

"We have all come from different places, seeking a common bond," said The Alpha. "We now welcome you, Numbers Twenty-Five through Twenty-Eight." The rest of the pack clapped for the new recruits; Hubb just smirked at the welcome. "Be seated," commanded The Alpha. As Hubb and the other new cult members sat down in their place, Alpha stood up from his own.

"I will tell you now the story behind our pack's origins. When I was but a young boy, I became amerced in war over rations in my old country. I watched in horror as towns burned to the ground, my family slaughtered, my home destroyed in an air raid…"

**Prague, Forty-Three Years Earlier**

_Young Preston ran with all his might away from his small town while bombs were dropped from planes above. By then, his family had been swallowed up by the explosions; he was the last of his bloodline. He was lucky to have reached the city's limits, where the only damage he would take were the earthquakes that followed the explosions a mile away. One such earthquake made him fall to the ground on his belly; when he sat up, all he could see were golden flames that reached the night sky. His eyes were drowning in tears._

"I had lost everything that I held dear at the time; everything I once believed to be important was gone. But then, as I grieved, a most bewildering apparition came to me. I turned around… and saw Him."

_Preston, barely six years old, forced himself to his feet and decided to move on. When he turned to face the road ahead of him, a strange shadow blocked his path. It was a transparent black wolf with two different colored eyes- one pale blue, one gold. The boy gasped in terror, but stood his ground as the spirit stared him down. _

_Then, without even opening its mouth, it spoke. __**"I know exactly what you're going through, boy. I too lost everything I loved. But this is only the beginning of the horrors; the world is about to end."**_

"_No," whimpered young Preston. "It can't."_

"_**But it is,"**__ said the ghostly wolf. __**"I can help you though; I know a place that has no pain and no suffering at all. It's called Paradise, and it's coming soon."**_

"…_Paradise?"_

"_**You can only enter Paradise by summoning up your inner wolf. Listen to it, and follow the scent of lunar flowers. …Do you understand what I'm saying, boy?"**_

"_Yes," Preston nodded. "I understand…"_

"_**Seek Paradise… follow the lunar flowers, and wait for the red moon…"**__ The ghost then vanished before the boy's eyes._

**Stormhill, Present Day**

"I at first thought I was only dreaming," said The Alpha, "but as I look upon the wastefulness of mankind today- all of the pollution and on-going wars- I can see that the end may very well come in our lifetime. It took me a while, friends, but I now fully understand the spirit's words, and he spoke the truth. Paradise is our only chance of survival."

"This guy's a real psycho," whispered Hubb to himself. Luckily for him, no one heard his comment.

As if sensing the doubts of his brethren, The Alpha went on to say, "There are those among you who may be skeptical; some of you may question my visions and why we must be wolves to enter Paradise. My friends, the answer lies before you: the lunar flower. A wolf can pick up its scent from many miles away; it's very touch can unlock senses we never thought we had. It is this flower that will light the way to Paradise, but we may not find another one like this in this town, or even in this state. That is why we must become wolves… and my friends, that time has finally come."

The back door opened, and several more red-robed individuals came walking out with stacks of small syringe needles in their hands. Inside each needle was a clear liquid, which could have easily been mistaken for water. They passed down one needle after another to the seated cultists; Hubb was most of all concerned.

The Alpha explained, "What are being handed to you now are our latest creations. Our most gifted geneticists have fused wolf and human DNA together, creating a purely-formed concoction that can be simply injected into your blood stream."

Hubb stared blankly at the syringe before him; he couldn't believe that this was what remained of the lady biologist's stolen wolf data! "Wolf _and_ human DNA?" he murmured in disbelief.

The Alpha raised his hands; "Take these needles to your arms, brothers and sisters, and inject the serum into your veins. Within minutes, you are sure to transform into your wolf selves!"

As most of his blind followers did as he was told, Hubb remained still. He spoke up in concern, "Wait a minute, isn't this a little dangerous? I mean, wolf DNA in our blood… wouldn't that do more harm than good?"

The Alpha heard this and smiled confidently, "There is no harm in accepting who you really are. Inject the serum!"

"Do as he says," said the robed individual by Hubb's right. "This just doesn't feel right," frowned Hubb; "I was expecting some kind of prayer ritual, not splicing my own genes." "What's the matter, are you afraid?" asked the man next to him. Hubb gave a small nod, "Well… yes! To tell you the truth, I am! I'm not gonna take it."

The Alpha eyed Hubb sternly; "If you don't take the serum, then you're not truly one of us." "Well, fine!" huffed the undercover cop as he rose to his seat. "I don't have to do anything I don't want to, and you can't make me!"

"Traitor!" growled the man beside him, who angrily rose to his own feet and grabbed Hubb by the collar of his robe. "If you don't do as The Alpha says, you can never achieve Paradise. Don't you want to survive The Apocalypse!?" "I'll take my chances!" argued Hubb.

"He is blinded by fear," frowned The Alpha. "Brothers, inject him with the serum; _make_ him one of us!"

Hubb groaned as he struggled against two red-robed cultists, each holding him by the arms. Without hesitation, the one on his left rolled up his sleeve, grabbed the remaining syringe needle, and forced it into Hubb's arm. The detective howled in pain, but there was not much else he could do as the serum entered his system. Upon his release, Hubb nearly passed out in his chair, already feeling a woozy effect from the injection.

When the tension in the air cleared, The Alpha once again spoke up. "Friends, we have proven ourselves worthy of Paradise. In just a few short moments, the moon will rise over this building; upon that moment, we will smell the fresh scent of the lunar flower, and the wolf within us will at last be awakened."

Hubb trembled as his head rested on the table. He softly grumbled, "God damnit… I wish I could have done something different… Where the hell is that backup?"

…

After tieing up loose ends following the murder of a young teenager, the police chief and his best men finally arrived at the old church. With the sirens blaring and lights flashing, their cars surrounded the condemned building. Armed with small guns, the cops formed a blockade so that no one inside the church could escape them. "Wait for my signal to move in, men," said the chief. He then held up a loudspeaker to his face: "This is the chief of police! Come out with your hands up, or we're coming in!"

…

Ignoring the warnings outside, the robed cultists marched up to the ground level of the church. Most of them were wobbly in their steps, Hubb most of all as he was most resistant of the serum he had been forced to take. The Alpha, on the other hand, was as calm and collected as ever, even after taking the serum himself. He took his place at the altar in front of his subordinates, while a select few stood before a large royal blue curtain on the wall.

While placing the lily-white flower on the altar, The Alpha smiled with bared teeth. "Brothers, remove the curtain and let the moon shine in. Tonight, we transform!"

As the curtain was pulled down, it revealed a giant hole in the wall, one made perhaps by a wrecking ball. The silver moonlight pierced the air and was sent right through everyone on the room. Almost instantly, people's corneas flushed from white to red, their irises from blue or brown to yellow.

"Move in!" shouted the police chief from outside. Two cops kicked in the front door, and the squadron charged down the aisle. They stopped in their shock at the sight of red-robed people convulsing in front of them.

"…S-somebody get a doctor," panicked one officer. "They look sick!"

Another aimed his gun at them; "You're under arrest for trespassing and suspected robbery. Surrender now, or we'll shoot!"

Anguished and pumped full of adrenalin, the cultists paused to allow their canine teeth to grow out into fangs. Their fingernails also grew out, forming claws, and their human hair started to grow all around their faces and bodies, appearing to be fur. Their muscles twisted, their bones lengthened, their faces stretched out to form snouts, and their screams became more and more like roars with each passing second. The police were horrified as they stood their ground; before their eyes, human beings became monsters, beasts… _werewolves_.

"Fire… Fire! Open fire!!" screamed one of the policemen.

Shots rang out, claws were swiped, fangs were gnashed and blood was spilt. On that night, the town of Stormhill was no longer quiet nor sleepy; it would be forever known as the birthplace of a whole new race of ravenous monsters.

… …

At the edge of the pine forest, the wolves were now facing an open field full of yellow flowers that glistened in the moonlight. Kiba and Toboe readied themselves to continue running, while Brutus and Hige took a step back to say their goodbyes.

"There's a fresh path through that field," advised Brutus. "It leads to a human city, a very large one. The lunar flower's scent is coming from there, I think."

"Then that's where we're headed," nodded Kiba. "Brutus, thanks again for your help. Good luck to you and your pack."

Finally, Hige could no longer hide his desires; he jumped in front of Brutus and announced, "I'm coming with you!"

"You are?" gasped Toboe. Kiba was just as surprised; "You really don't have to," he said.

Hige smiled widely at the white wolf, "But I want to! I'm smelling what you're smelling, and I wanna know more about it. And this whole Paradise thing sounds so great…" He then turned to face his pack leader and humbly bowed before him. "Brutus, you understand don't you? You know I'm not like the others; I wanna explore the world. I wanna see things and…"

The older wolf chuckled, "It's alright, Hige. Go with them, it's your choice."

"Thank you. Thank you so much!" rejoiced the oversized teen as he jumped for joy. He then twirled around Toboe before giving him a giant noogie; "Well, lead the way princess!"

"Augh!" Toboe shoved him away as he growled, "I'm not the leader, Kiba is."

"I knew that," huffed Hige. "Ready, Kiba?"

"Yeah. Let's go." With that, the white wolf charged into the field, with two young wolves now following his lead. As Brutus stood his ground at the edge of the woods, he smiled to himself, "My, my. If only Ms. Cher could see her boy now… How proud she would be."

From another direction, a black figure with bright blue eyes watched the three wolves running through the flowery field. As if following something beyond her senses, Blue felt compelled to follow them. But something was holding her back, something that was fixed into her mind while under the harsh trainings of her former master. She would watch hesitantly as the wolf trio disappeared into the distance, but like them, her journey would soon begin.

TBC

Next, **"Fang Meets Claw"**


	3. Fang Meets Claw

Flashback- Two years earlier

_At the tender age of two and just passing his adolescence, the grey Timber wolf named Tsume sat at the edge of a steep cliff, proudly surveying the wilderness that was his home. He was the last remaining pup of two wolf partners that have staked a claim to this dying forest, which he now protected with ferocity. But something caught his nose that morning, a sweet fragrance he had never smelt before that seemed to draw him closer and closer to it. By now, he was over a mile away from his parents' den, in unfamiliar territory. But that didn't phase him- hardly anything did. All he wanted was to pinpoint that smell; a mixture of honeydew and fallen rain with a hint of sugar, he guessed._

_Suddenly, an eerie wolf howl cried out in the distance. Tsume's ears twitched, recognizing that voice. It was his father's, and it sounded troubling as if he was being attacked. Alarmed, Tsume turned tail and ran like the wind toward the den. He wouldn't make it in time…_

_When the timber wolf skidded to a halt by the tree stump that marked the entrance to his family's den, he paused in horror. His mother and father lay side by side, drenched in their own blood with large lacerations on their sides. They had already passed on. There was an unfamiliar scent in the air, the smell of a stranger; his parents had been murdered._

"Mother… Father… NO!"

_With the stranger's scent still fresh on the ground, Tsume took to the hunt with a desire for revenge. Sure enough, he saw the figure of a very tall man in a deep blue trench coat walking down the path which the scent trail was following. Surely, this human was the culprit he was looking for. Without hesitation, the grey wolf lunged at full force, jaws wide open._

"MURDERER!"

_The character wasted no time in turning around, and with one swift slash, he managed to cut into the wolf's chest. Tsume fell to the ground, defeated and bleeding._

_The man, whose face was shadowed, stood over the fallen wolf and smiled grimly. "That's what you get for your interference, stupid wolf." He then turned back on his way, laughing as he went._

_Poor Tsume was so badly injured, that he failed to get back onto his paws. He slumped back onto the ground, pained and exhausted, but all the more grief-stricken. But he made a vow to himself to never forget that man's scent, or his voice, or the color of his coat. As he lay bleeding, the cut on his chest was much more than just a single slash; it was shaped almost like a perfect "X."_

**Wolf's Storm**

By Snodin

Based on "Wolf's Rain," created and owned by BONES

**Grope 3.**

"**Fang Meets Claw"**

"You've got to be kidding me… Werewolves!?"

Biologist Cher Degre was one of the first to hear the upsetting news about a pack of humanoid mutants- werewolves, perhaps- tearing through the local Stormhill police squad the night before, during a raid on an abandoned church building used as a hideout for a suspicious cult. Of the witnesses there that next morning, the majority were part of that same police force as trained forensic scientists. Cher was one of the three animal experts called in, because of the suspected culprits.

The chief of police was standing with her and two other biologists, one male and one female, as several ambulance dispatchers rolled stretchers out of the building, carrying both dead and alive policemen. "I didn't believe it myself, Doctor," explained the chubby chief; "I saw claw marks all over the victims and the floor of the building, but it's still a vague story. Those that survived the attack claim they were werewolves…"

As he said this, one scratched up survivor was on his way to an ambulance via stretcher. Cher and her company turned their attention to the bloody-faced man as he softly babbled in a panic-stricken voice, his eyes bulged and rapidly scanning the area. "Th-th-th-th-they… th-th-there were th-th-thousands of them… they had fangs… c-c-c-claws… scratching, biting… th-they were monsters… Mmm-_monsters_!!"

Cher turned back to the chief, still skeptical. "Can we be sure these weren't just wild animals let loose on the cops, chief?"

"Like I said," shrugged the chief, "all we got so far are marks on the floors. Maybe a paw print or two, they didn't give me all the details."

"Whatever happened to Detective Lebowski?" she asked suddenly.

"We haven't heard from him since last night… They must have gotten him first."

Cher frowned as she hung her head. "Oh… That poor man. What a shame." There was a sincere sound of grief in her voice; though she hardly even knew him, she was actually starting to like that suave detective. Perhaps to a fault.

Just then, a female forensic expert approached the interviewing group with a plastic bag with a substance trapped inside it. "Here Chief," she said, holding out the bag. "This just came in; we think it's dog hair."

"May I?" asked Cher, holding out her hand. She was given the bag without hesitation, as this was the reason why she and her associates were called to the scene of the crime. Without even needing to remove the patch of fur from the bag, the blonde looked at it closely, noticing how it glowed rusty red in the sunlight. "This does look a bit like dog hair… But then, they were said to be wolf fanatics, weren't they?"

"Hmm?" hummed the indecisive police chief.

"I'm going to take this to my lab for further studies." With that, Cher tucked the plastic bag underneath her long white coat. "Sarah, Paul and I should have results by the end of the day."

The chief saluted, "Good luck then, Doctor." He then excused the biologists as they quickly retreated from the scene, hoping that they could put an end to this silly werewolf theory.

… …

On a grassy hill that warm afternoon, the shriveled up body of a rabbit laid still, its strangled neck tied to a thin silver noose. There was no telling how long ago it had died; all that was certain was that it was now beginning to decay. Its rib cage was starting to show, flies were gathering around it, and it let out a stench that would make even a wolf's stomach turn.

Toboe and Hige both leaned in to closely examine the carcass, and both gave an equal groan of disgust: "Ewww…"

"Well," grumbled the narrowed-eyed Hige, "there's hardly any meat on it for all three of us."

"It's better than nothing, I guess," frowned the starved yet apprehensive Toboe. "…You go first."

"No, no, no! Young ones go first, it's a rule."

"You're hungrier than I am."

"And how do you know that!?"

"I can tell these things."

While the younger wolves quarreled over the rotting meat, Kiba's attentions were elsewhere. He stood at the edge of the hill and gazed in wonder at what was waiting for him in the distance. "Hey, guys! I can see the city from here."

The two quarrelers were all too eager to leave the rabbit carcass behind- well, except Hige; at the last second, he turned back and snatched it with his fangs before running to Kiba. Together, the trio surveyed the skyline of Moors City in awe.

"Wow… it's so beautiful," cooed Toboe. "And it's even bigger than Aerzia!"

"It's the biggest I've ever seen," admitted Hige, stuffing the rabbit carcass in the pockets of his sweatshirt. (He may as well have swallowed it whole at that point; the others wouldn't have taken notice.)

"The lunar flower's down there," smiled Kiba. "I can smell it."

Toboe's nose then perked up. "…I smell something, too. It's coming from behind-"

_YIPE!_

Kiba tensed up as he whirled himself around. "What was that!?"

Hearing the yip coming from behind, Hige made an educational guess. "Another caught rabbit, I suppose. There's traps laid out all over this hill."

"No, you guys! Look!" alerted Toboe, who pointed forward in the opposite direction of the city.

It turned out that Hige was half right; an animal had just been ensnared by a rabbit trap. But to the shock of the wolves, it wasn't a rabbit that was caught, but rather a member of their own species! She was several feet away, but the black wolf was clearly struggling as her leg became more entangled in the steel wire. As they ran closer, the boys could now clearly see that she had startling blue eyes- a trait that only dogs could have. Perhaps this was a cross-breed, but there were clear signs that she had wolf in her. She tugged feverishly at the wire with her teeth, but to no avail. The trap was working well.

"Poor girl," gasped Toboe.

"Where did she come from?" asked the bewildered Hige.

"Who cares? She needs help!" Toboe was the first to approach this stranger. When her blue eyes met his hazel brown, she let out a nasty snarl in warning. Toboe paused fearfully; the wolf-dog's hair was standing on end, and her posture read that she was ready to lunge at him despite her predicament.

"Toboe, get back!" called Kiba. "It's too dangerous."

"But we've gotta help her," insisted the pup. Again, the wolf-dog growled and snarled at the oncoming Toboe; in her eyes, he was no more than a new opponent, waiting to get his throat torn out. "It's okay, lady. I won't hurt you," purred Toboe as he reached out his hand to her snout. Hige was quick to pull him back before the wolf-dog managed to bite the pup's paw clean off.

"The hell's matter with you!?" lectured Hige as he slapped Toboe in the back of his head. "You don't go reaching out to wild dogs; they'll tear you apart!" Startled as he was, Toboe's tenacity won him over; "But… We can't just leave her here, you guys. She's gonna die, or lose her foot. …I can't live with that guilt, can you?"

Kiba and Hige exchanged apathetic glances, as if quietly agreeing with the pup. "Alright," sighed Hige as he cracked his knuckles in preparation, "if it'll make the Princess happy…" (And by Princess, of course, he meant the pup, not the wolf-dog.) He then approached the black wolf-dog very cautiously.

In Blue's eyes, a new opponent was drawing near. He was nearly twice her size, this golden-fleeced wolf, but he had a strange look of calmness in his face. His ears weren't pulled back, nor were his fangs bared. In fact, he hardly made a sound as he approached her; it was almost as if he wanted her to make the first move. And so, she did; Blue tried to lunge at the collared wolf, but the noose on her leg kept her jaws from reaching his face.

"_Man, you really don't know proper manners, do you lady?"_ his thoughts reached out to her. Blue could do nothing more than snarl and raise her fur to full height. The golden wolf circled her, still showing no signs of aggression. _"I'm gonna make this easy for you; just hold still and I'll pull that peg out from right underneath your foot. It'll be quick and painless."_ Again, she snapped at him, and this time she managed to snatch his thick neck.

"Hige!" gasped Toboe in horror, but he soon realized that Blue's fangs barley even reached his skin. All she managed to snag was fur.

Finally, Hige had enough. His ears pulled back and his yellow eyes narrowed. _"Alright. I didn't wanna have to do this, but if that's how you want it…" _Hige the wolf backed up into Blue so that she could have a clear shot of his hide. As she took the bait, his back legs kicked up; **POW! **With one swift back-kick to her face, Blue was knocked to the floor out cold.

Hige the human then crossed his arms as he looked away, a look of remorse on his face. Awed by his new friend's gusto, Toboe ran up to Hige and cheered, "Wow! That was pretty awesome, Hige! A one-punch knockout!" Hige maintained his remorsefulness; "Yeah, well… It was nothing." He felt pretty guilty about hitting a female, dog or no dog, but what other choice did he have? He would have to accept that what he did was the right thing; now Kiba and Toboe were helping themselves to tug the unconscious animal's foot free.

With his work finished and the noose set aside, Kiba stood up on his human feet. "She'll be fine now; let's get to the big city."

"You sure she's okay?" asked Toboe, staring curiously at the sleeping wolf-dog.

Hige grabbed the pup by the collar of his red blouse and began to march after Kiba; "You know what they say, kid, 'Let sleeping dogs lie,' and all that crap. Move it." He then gave the pup a push forward, urging him to follow Kiba's lead.

… …

The city of Moors. An enormous metropolis which managed to surround itself in vast green fields of an almost desolate suburbia. It was picture perfect for the average human, and thus its majority of residents were human. They had no idea that their paradise was also teeming with wolves. One pack stood out more than any other, the terrors of all street gangs who dared to wander into their territory. They were few in numbers, but proud and strong-willed enough to be revered by the locals.

The beta male was named Three Toes, who appeared to be a medium-sized and subtly round man with long tan hair and a full dark beard; his signature feature was a red cap worn backwards. Behind him was Lobo, a very muscular man with a sleeveless vest, exposing his broad arms; his black hair was short cut like a soldier's. The male behind him in rank was Jean-Baptiste, a clean-cut blonde who appeared to be French and would even speak in a thick French accent. Finally, among the boys, was the thin but tall Fenrir; he had a clef in his thick chin and pulled back his raven-black hair into a long ponytail.

The alpha female was named Asena; she had deep purple hair that was short and layered, the top of which was as sharp as knives running across her forehead. Behind her was Raksha, her younger sister, who had even darker hair and wore it in a more modest manner. Finally, the twin sisters of Fenrir: Hati and Skoll, who were identical in both human and wolf forms. In human form, they were particularly attractive with blazing yellow hair that fell down to their knees. Even their attire was the same; flat leather hats, strapless pink tops which exposed their flat tummies, open jet-black leather vests, and matching knee-high shorts and long buckled boots.

And then, of course, there was the alpha male. He was perhaps the least bit active during the day, for fear that he might stand out too much. And indeed he would stand out- he was the fleshiest of them all, and with hair so white it made him seem almost ghostly. But on this particular day, he would be needed. A war was going on, and it needed to be settled quickly.

Three Toes, despite his heavyset build, hopped up a long staircase as well as any athlete on his way to the rooftop of their chosen "den." On the rooftop, the grey alpha was scratching his claws against a rock as a way of sharpening them. That's when Three Toes came bounding. "Tsume, it's Warg. He's been spotted by Thirty Street and Pine!"

The grey wolf quickly put on his guise; in place of claws, a small curved dagger was being sharpened on the small rock. The white-haired alpha, donning skin-tight leather torn at the sleeves and middle and daring to expose his "X"-shaped chest scar, turned to his right hand man with a devilish smile.

"Well then, let's not keep him waiting."

(Song: "Hell Yeah" by Rev Theory)

The grey Timber Wolf hopped down the building's steel staircase as gracefully as a gazelle, taking the lead in the chase as his loyal wolves followed. As they galloped into the streets, their forms shifted into what could be the most elaborate illusion of all: humans riding motorcycles! Tsume's was blood red, a fitting shade to the mood he was in. As they tore across the street corner, their disguise could only be betrayed by the fact that they made paw tracks instead of tire tracks. Fortunately for them, no human was wise enough to see that.

_She's a ten, hell-bent, I'm in Heaven tonight_

_Sex beat, sex scene playin' out in my mind_

_One look, I' hooked, motor runnin'_

_Revved up, my heart started pumpin'_

_Are you ready for the best damn night of your life?_

_Gimmie a "Hell," gimmie a "Yeah!"_

_Stand up right now_

_And gimmie a "Hell," gimmie a "Yeah!"_

_Stand up right now_

_Get ready to go, she ain't movin' slow_

_She's taken control, pushin' my pedal_

_Through the floor, I'm beggin' for more_

_You better hold on tight!_

_Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!_

On an imaginary green bike, Three Toes took to Tsume's side, giving him the directions to their enemy. "He was spotted heading for the train station. I think he's been using the underground tunnels as a cover!" Infuriated, Tsume quickened his pace and thus his motorbike seemed to be revved into overdrive. They stopped only once for pedestrians, then took off in a flash again at the turn of the green light. Only a small child noticed the paw tracks, but was too naive to understand the truth behind them.

_Got a taste, kept safe- I'm a junkie for life_

_She fuels my fire and adrenalin high_

_My need for speed's got me gunnin'_

_One touch, she screams "Keep it coming!"_

_Are you ready for the best damn night of your life?_

_Gimmie a "Hell," gimmie a "Yeah!"_

_Stand up right now_

_And gimmie a "Hell," gimmie a "Yeah!"_

_Stand up right now_

_Get ready to go, she ain't movin' slow_

_She's taken control, pushin' my pedal_

_Through the floor, I'm beggin' for more_

_You better hold on tight!_

_Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!_

Unbeknownst to them, another pack had just entered the territory. It was Kiba and friends, jumping from one rooftop over the next as a means to avoid being spotted. Toboe had trouble keeping up, as this was his first time at base jumping. At one point, he nearly lost his footing on the edge of a roof and had to balance himself quickly. As he paused to catch his breath, his ears picked up the sound of paws charging down below. As fate would have it, Tsume and his pack were darting by, in the opposite direction from where the trio was going. The pup's hazel eyes strapped onto the biker gang, as if entranced. He knew right away what they were, but what really amazed him was their illusion. How did they ride like that!?

"Kiba! Hige! Over here!"

The older teens stopped in their gait and turned to see that Toboe was now four buildings behind them. He was waving his arms in signal, beckoning them to join him. When Kiba took the initiative, Hige followed.

"What's up, pup?" barked Hige as he landed by Toboe's side.

"Look," pointed Toboe to the passing wolf pack on the ground. Before his elders could respond, the preteen reversed his direction and jumped over to the previous building in order to catch up with the biker gang.

"Toboe! Don't!" Kiba's warning would come too late; he now had no choice but to follow his young charge. And once again, Hige followed.

Still blissfully unaware of the wolf pack following him from three stories above, Tsume led his gang through a deep alleyway and behind the 30th Street train station, which looked like a museum on the outside thanks to its sheer size. As the gang pulled over to a stop, their imaginary motorbikes vanished into thin air.

Tsume raised his head high and let out a roar. "WARG!"

From the windowsill of the building's second story, a very large man wearing a long silvery fur coat responded. His hair was long, dark and so wiry it almost looked tangled, with a thick beard to compliment it; he seemed to be as feral in human form as he would in wolf form. "It took you long enough to get here, Tsume."

"You know the rules. This is _my_ turf, so get out!"

The elder wolf knew all too well what Tsume's real intentions were. "You can't keep that flower to yourself, you selfish bastard," he growled. With clenched teeth, Warg descended from his throne and the fight was on.

_Gimmie a "Hell," gimmie a "Yeah!"(Hell yeah!)_

_Stand up right now_

_And gimmie a "Hell," gimmie a "Yeah!"_

_Stand up right now (Right now!)_

_Gimmie a "Hell," gimmie a "Yeah!"_

_Stand up right now_

_And gimmie a "Hell," gimmie a "Yeah!"_

_Stand up right now_

_Get ready to go, she ain't movin' slow_

_She's taken control, pushin' my pedal_

_Through the floor, I'm beggin' for more_

_You better hold on tight!_

_Gimmie a "Hell," gimmie a "Yeah!" (fade out)_

Tsume's pack all formed a half-circle to ensure the enemy had nowhere to run, but it would seem he wasn't planning on going anywhere. The two rivals paced around each other until Warg, the silver one, lunged first. Tsume, the darker one only by a few shades, matched his rival with every snap of the jaw and swipe of the claws. The gang members cheered him on, "Yeah! Get 'im, boss! Get 'im! Show no mercy!"

Atop a building across the wide and busy street, the traveling trio caught their breath. They watched in awe as their fellow wolves tussled and pulled at each other's fur relentlessly. Toboe was most shocked by this.

"Why? …Why are they fighting like that?"

Hige grinned in his usual goofball manner. "See kids, this is called a turf war. Can you say 'turf war?'"

"Alright, I get it," grimaced the pup. "But still, shouldn't we all be working together? I thought that's what wolves do."

"Wolves also fight, Toboe." Kiba's almost emotionless tone of voice was as unsettling as ever for the pup. With his aqua eyes, the elder turned to his charge with a face more endearing than any word he could say. "Things are gonna be different now, knowing what you truly are. You're gonna have to see things a lot differently, and rely more on your instinct than your emotions."

"Yeah," added Hige in a more parental tone than Kiba. "So if you're thinking about joining those guys down there, just look at how they treat strangers! You'd have no chance." "Actually," Toboe thought out loud, "I was kinda thinking _they'd_ join _us_." After one last look at the warring alpha males, who were now wearing each other down, Hige shook his head disapprovingly. "Not a chance."

The fight only stopped when the sound of a police car siren pierced the ears of Tsume's subordinates. No doubt, someone saw the two thugs knife-fighting and called the police on them. "Boss, the cops!" barked Three Toes. "Let's get outta here!"

As if taking the advice of his enemy, Warg jumped out of the circle he was trapped in and leapt away like a grasshopper. "This isn't over!" he howled. Tsume paused as he bared his fangs in irritation; he was so close to victory this time! Oh well, he would have better luck in the next round. "Let's go." In a flash, their motorcycles appeared again, and they rode off in the opposite direction of the oncoming sirens.

"Wow," murmured a bedazzled Toboe. "Hey Kiba, can you teach me how to do that? Could you ride a bike like that?"

"No," giggled the white wolf softly. "I've never tried anything like that; it's tricky enough just to keep this illusion up."

"I bet you could do it," grinned Hige with a relaxed posture. "It looks easy."

"Then you try it," dared Toboe. "Make yourself fly an airplane."

"Are you asking me to jump off this building?"

That thought never even crossed the pup's mind, but now that he mentioned it… "…Maybe."

"Why you little brat!" Hige tried to grab Toboe's hair in an almost playful manner, but Kiba was not in the mood for another one of their tussles. "Cops. Let's move it." With no argument from them, Hige and Toboe followed closely behind Kiba as he leapt off the rooftop in escape. No wolves would be pounded today.

… …

No one worked harder than Cher Degre. No one. What most scientists explored and discovered in days, she did in just hours with no breaks for lunch or rest. She was perhaps a little bit obsessive-compulsive; when she wanted an answer to a riddle, she would dig to China to get it. With the help of her computer, she scanned the hair taken from the scene of the crime and analyzed it close-up. Within a few hours, something started to show up onscreen: there were red spots in the maximized DNA strands where there should have been green.

"No doubt about it… These DNA strands are human, but some of the smaller chromosomes have mutated. How, I wonder?"

Over her shoulder appeared Sarah, whose hair and face indicated she was of Asian descent- maybe even moreso than Cher. "Can we confirm then that we're dealing with some kind of mutant?" she pondered.

"Yes we can," nodded Cher, "but something still bothers me. These hairs look very much like wolf hairs… Is it possible that the Red Moon cult spliced the wolf DNA they've stolen?"

"Heh," chuckled Sarah in disbelief. "You're saying they actually fused humans with wolves. Is that even possible?"

Cher couldn't help but crack a smile. "You're right, that does sound impossible. But we can't really determine where these alien chromosomes came from yet. For now, we can only be hypothetical about it. Let's say, just for a theory, that these are in fact wolf chromosomes. They're small, too small to fully damage the human host, but big enough to make a major difference in the host's appearance and behavior."

"But it's from a completely different species. How long can a host last with such alien genes?"

"That's just one of two big questions, the first being how they did it."

"Right. Because once we know how it was done…"

"Then we can figure out how to _undo_ it."

Sarah stepped back to recollect her thoughts. "Now the third big question: how can we confirm that this is a half-wolf we're dealing with? All of the data we had on the zoo pack is gone now."

Cher's eyes turned away from the computer at long last. She looked tired, but the thirst to solve the riddle urged her on. "There's only one way we can know for sure. We need new wolf DNA."

… …

Nightfall in Moors was peaceful and quiet- the perfect time for disguised wolves to be more like their true selves. Tsume walked down one particular street with his trusted friend and bets, Three Toes. Out in the open, even under the glow of street lamps, they could discuss their true motives without concern of eavesdropping humans.

"We've been all over this stinkin' city," complained the bearded man with the red cap, "and not once did we find that lunar flower. You sure it's still here, boss?"

"Oh it's here," nodded Tsume confidently. "The moon's full tonight, so it should be in full bloom. Keep your nostrils open, Three Toes."

Nearby, young Toboe was peeking around the corner of a building, readying himself to approach the white-haired pack leader. Despite Kiba and Higes' warnings, the pup was determined to make a friend out of this character. It was his gut instinct that told him he could do it. As soon as Tsume and Three Toes moved in closer, Toboe made his move. He jumped in front of them without warning and blurted out, "Hey, you guys!"

The older wolves in men's clothing barely flinched as they stared the pup down. Toboe brushed back his hair nervously; "Uh-heh, heh. Nice night, huh? Perfect weather we're having… I'm Toboe, by the way."

The pack leader took no interest in the boy; he simply patted his reddish-brown head as he and Three Toes walked past him; "That's nice, kid," he snickered.

The preteen turned around with a confused look on his face. "Hey," he frowned, "where're you going? Did I say something wrong?"

Without looking back at the boy, Tsume asked, "Aren't you too young to be out this late, kid? There's some nasty characters out here."

Toboe caught up with them and trailed their tracks. "I'm not a kid, you know. I'm a wolf, just like you!"

Again, Tsume teasingly giggled. "Heh… hardly."

"I know you're a wolf too, mister. Me and my friends saw you today on your imaginary motorcycle. …How do you do that, anyway? I mean, just make a motorcycle appear like that?"

"It's not something I can just teach you, short stuff. It's complicated; you'll learn it when you're older."

"Much older," added Three Toes. "Come on, boss, let's go sniff out that flower."

"You mean the lunar flower?" peeped Toboe.

Finally, the muscular white-blonde man froze in his tracks; Toboe nearly walked right into him by mistake. Tsume turned and gave him an ice-cold stare. "What does a scrawny pup like you know about the lunar flower?"

"My friends and I are looking for them too," confessed the preteen. "Kiba- he's our leader- has been following them since the day I met him. He's looking for Paradise. …Do you know anything about Paradise, mister?"

"What wolf doesn't? …It's Tsume, by the way."

"Tsume! That's a cool name."

"Yeah, whatever…" The more he eyed this boy, the more curious Tsume became about him. For a pup, he seemed to know a little too much. "So tell me, Toboe, what do _you_ know about Paradise?"

"Uh… well, not much really. But I'm pretty sure Kiba knows. He's the Chosen One."

Tsume's yellow eyes narrowed, as if angered. "Is that right?"

"Hey boss," peeped Three Toes beside him, "I thought _you_ were the Cho- _Oof_!" Tsume elbowed him in the stomach before he could finish; Three Toes quickly got the message and backed away slightly.

Tsume didn't take his sharp eyes off of Toboe; "What's this Kiba character look like, kid?"

Toboe smiled sheepishly, "Eh-heh… Th-that depends. Which form are you talking about?"

"Let's start with his true form," grinned Tsume slyly.

"He's a big white wolf," replied Toboe, raising his arms as if seizing Kiba in his mind. "He's all white, like fallen snow. And in his human form, he's got long dark hair, a leather jacket, denim jeans, and-"

"That's all I need to know," Tsume interrupted.

"Would you like to meet him?"

Tsume faked a friendly smile; "I'd love to meet 'im. Where's he staying?"

"Uh, w-we're not really staying anywhere," frowned Toboe before gleefully adding, "but I could tell him to meet you somewhere. How 'bout the town square tomorrow?"

"I got a better idea," said the arm-crossed Tsume; "how about midnight tonight, at the edge of town where they're building the new stadium? No one goes there, so it'll be perfectly safe and secluded."

"Great," Toboe snapped his fingers. "I'll tell him right away! Are you gonna bring your friends?"

Tsume shook his head, "No. It's better to settle this- I mean speak with him- alone. Less allies means less tension, understand?"

"Oh, right. You don't want a fight to break out. I understand."

Actually, having a fight break out was _exactly_ what Tsume wanted; less allies meant fewer witnesses should the confrontation turn ugly. He of course hid these thoughts from the boy under a soft smile. "Well said, kid. You run along now and tell your friend to meet me there."

"Right," nodded Toboe enthusiastically. He then skipped into a run as he howled, "It was great meeting you, Tsume!"

"…Same to you, kid. Same to you," grinned the plotting Tsume as he cracked his knuckles.

"Hey boss," snickered Three Toes, "want me to rally the boys?"

"Hey," said Tsume sharply; "I said no allies, and I'm a man of my word. I can handle this on my own anyway, Three Toes. I am, after all, The Chosen One."

… …

That same night, Cher and a select few of her teammates braved the wilderness in which their wolf subjects were released. With a tracking device in hand, Cher led the way through the dark, while others held flashlights. It was hours before they got their first clues of wolf activity.

"Here, lookit this," called out Matt. His flashlight beamed down on the ground, where large paw prints laid. The team circled the prints and took measurements, until Cher concluded, "These are much bigger than the tracks we've seen on the reserve."

As their quest continued, they discovered patches of rusty brown fur dangling from the prickly edges of pine trees. "Whoever these wolves are," guessed Sarah, "they sure were in a hurry,"

_Awoooooooooooo!_

The eerie distant howl sent shivers up their spines; Cher recognized it almost immediately: "It's Brutus. His pack must be nearby."

Indeed, they were; huddled in a small cave-like den, the collared wolves hid themselves in fear of the large trespassers that charged through their territory like a violent wind. The scientists would leave them be, but would take home with them the evidence of larger wolves home with them.

… …

Toboe begged Kiba to find Tsume at the stadium construction site until the white wolf conceded with great reserve. After seeing Tsume's pack act as harshly as they did towards a stranger earlier that day, he wasn't keen on making friends with them. Nevertheless, the pup swore to him that the scarred timber wolf was trustworthy, and so Kiba dared himself to take the challenge.

In his human form, the brunette stood alone at the edge of what appeared to be a gorge dug out by machines. From where he stood, the stadium looked more like a skeleton form of itself, with beams and sections sticking out like bones. The sky was cloudless, the moon was full; it was almost a peaceful setting.

"So, you must be Kiba," came a deep voice nearby, breaking the peace. Kiba whirled himself around, and saw the black-leather-clad man with tanned skin and white-hot hair standing atop a pile of debris. His eyes were as golden as any wolf's, a trait that only the boldest of wolves would don in their human forms. Tsume cracked a smile at his new opponent. "I expected you to be a lot bigger… I'm kind of disappointed."

"You're not hear to just talk, are you?" asked the suspicious Kiba.

"I know what you're looking for. I'm looking for her too."

"The flower?"

"The Maiden."

Kiba's aqua eyes widened in surprise. "…What Maiden?"

Tsume let out a smirk; "Heh! I'm sure you know all about her by now; The Maiden whose spirit is linked to the lunar flowers. She called you here, didn't she? Well, she called me too. And lemmie tell you something, there's only one guy between us who's gonna get to her first."

Kiba then bared his fangs. "What do you want with the Flower Maiden, Tsume?"

"The same thing you do: to open Paradise."

With that, the leathery man's appearance broke off, and in its place stood a large grey wolf with an X-shaped scar on his chest. The fur on his neck stood on end and he bared his teeth in a defiant growl. Kiba followed his lead and crouched down on his four white paws to pounce. At the same time, the two of them charged.

Though the two of them went for each other's throats, no blood was spilled; just lots of fur flying. With their teeth locked on to each other's chest or neck, they tussled and rolled around like professional wrestlers. Tsume then swiped at Kiba's nose and left a red mark, which was testament to how sharp his claws were. It was no wonder then how he earned his name "Claw." Then Kiba lashed back with a bite to the bigger wolf's ear, almost tearing it before Tsume jumped back.

The opponents then backed off to catch their breath, still snarling and bearing their fangs.

"_Why do you fight me?"_ thought Kiba. _"We can find Paradise together."_

"_Don't be naïve,"_ Tsume's mind sharply replied. _"There's only one Chosen Wolf, and it's going to be me!"_

"I don't care who the Chosen Wolf is… If it is you, I'll gladly follow you."

"_You're a sneaky one, but I can see right through your lies."_ Tsume then charged again, resuming the battle.

Meanwhile, Hige and Toboe kept their distance from the unfinished stadium, honoring their word to not interfere with the alpha wolf meeting. But within minutes, Toboe's ears picked up the unpleasant sounds of barking and growling. "…Something's wrong," he frowned in horror, turning toward the path toward the stadium.

"We have to stay out of it," advised Hige nearby. Clearly he too could hear the fight, but he leaned back on a lamppost with his arms crossed, resisting the urge to react. Toboe, on the other hand, listened to his instincts and took off in flight. "Toboe!" called out Hige. "Don't go there! Stay out of it!" But it was too late; Toboe tore off his human disguise while in mid-run and took to four legs on his way to the stadium.

The fight only lasted five minutes or so, but by the then the two alpha wolves were scratched up and bleeding from their mouths. Neither one backed down, however, as their egos proved too hard to break. Tsume was particularly tenacious, going once again for Kiba's neck. His fangs had dug down deep when a smaller wolf came out of nowhere and pushed him aside. The scarred grey wolf turned his attention to the small red one.

"_You!"_ his inner voice snarled.

"_Stop it!"_ barked Toboe's inner voice. _"Stop hurting Kiba!"_

"_You outta know when to back off, kid."_ Tsume then lunged at the pup, but Kiba shielded him just in time.

"Pick on someone your own size!" roared Hige, as his own human form was shed in mid-attack. He pushed the grey wolf off of Kiba, and together the three of them had him cornered in front of the deep gorge. As they faced off, the wolves temporarily morphed back into their human guises.

"This is a dirty trick," hissed Tsume, "summoning your posse at the last second."

"None of this was my intention," replied Kiba in his typical monotonous voice. "I never even wanted to pick a fight with you."

Toboe added his own opinion as his adrenalin raced: "Yeah! You told me you wanted to be our friend."

"I said no such thing," Tsume glared malevolently at the boy. "If you really thought I'd side with you low-lives, you're even dumber than you look."

"…You…" Toboe's fur raised high in anger, and he let out a fierce snarl. Without warning, the furious pup lunged at the grey wolf and head-butted his chest, pushing him closer to the edge of the gorge.

Hige and Kiba realized too little too late that Toboe and Tsume were dangerously close to falling into the pit. Before they could even let out their cries, the big grey wolf's back leg slipped off of solid ground. As Tsume leaned back, he dug his teeth and claws into Toboe, and the two of them fell into the deep pit of darkness.

"Toboe! No!" cried out Kiba and Hige. They raced to the edge of the pit, but it proved to be too deep to get a clear view of their friend's landing… if he landed at all.

"Oh, crap. That poor kid," mourned Hige. "Toboe! …To-bo-e!!!" The echo of his howl would find its way to the bottom of the pit, but by then it would be nothing more than a whisper.

…

Lying unconsciously on their sides at the foot of the steep gorge, neither Tsume nor Toboe would hear the cries of the wolves above. Even as Tsume awoke, all dusty and bruised from his fall, he could only make out muffled echoes bouncing off the walls. He knew in an instant where he was; a dark pit made by human machinery, designed to be a cellar of some sort for the stadium. The white-haired man stretched his arms in a whimper, checking to see if they were broken or dislocated. They weren't.

Then his eyes scanned around in curiosity until they fell on the unconscious Red wolf nearby. While in this state, Toboe couldn't keep his human guise on, but neither could he hide his shiny silver bracelets on his arm. They twinkled in what little moonlight the pit would allow. Their sparkle mesmerized the elder wolf, and so he moved in closer.

Well now," he whispered, "what's this? …Silver bracelets? Hmm. Dunno why anyone would wanna wear these. I dunno… Maybe I could trade them in for a scrap of meat, or something."

Just when he dared to reach out to touch the glimmering silver, Toboe lashed out with a loud snap of his jaws. Tsume jumped back in surprise. "Geeze, kid!" he gasped.

"Don't you dare touch these," muttered Toboe weakly, as the red-head forced himself up in a sitting position. Like Tsume, he too was dirtied from the fall.

The leather-clad man glanced away with a smirk on his face. "Heh. It's pretty pathetic when a wolf let's himself become some human's pet."

"These were my mother's," sneered Toboe. "I'll not have you bad-mouthing her or anyone I care about. You got it?"

"Ooo, you're a tough guy now," smiled Tsume, he teeth bared.

Toboe bowed his head in frustration. "You know, I don't get you. You told me you wanted to meet Kiba, and now all of a sudden you're looking to fight all of us? What kind of wolf are you?"

"The truest kind," replied Tsume. "I'll challenge anyone who dares to steal my destiny away from me."

"You mean the lunar flower?"

"Yes, exactly! I'm the one destined to find and open Paradise, and to prove it I'll have to get through everybody- Warg, Kiba, even you!"

"But Kiba said that Paradise is for everyone."

"Then he's a liar," snarled Tsume. His tone of voice was enough to scare the young pup. "Only one wolf is destined to open Paradise. Ask any wolf you know and they'll tell you the same. …But then again, my pack is also part of the big plan too. I'll need their muscle and other skills to get even halfway there."

"So, you're just using them?"

"To an extent, yes. Hopefully one or two will still be around in the end. Then we can repopulate the world with wolves… Hey wait a second. Why am I explaining all of this to you? You should've known how the world works by now, don't you?"

Toboe shamefully hung his head. "I didn't even know there was a Paradise until Kiba told me… Oh my gosh, Kiba! Hige! They're waiting for me!" He took a deep breath and got onto his human feet and looked up at the slope he would have to climb up. He could see the night sky and a few stars, but Kiba and Hige looked like nothing more than ants from where they stood at the pit's edge. Toboe gulped, realizing what a feat he would have to perform in order to get to his friends.

Meanwhile, Tsume rose to his feet and also faced the steep slope of earth. "Well, good luck seein' them again, kid." As he effortlessly began his ascension, he heard Toboe bark, "Hey! Why don't you at least give me a boost?" "Sorry kid," smirked the golden-eyed man, "you're on your own."

Toboe let a growl seep through his teeth as he watched the elder wolf climb up the slope with very little error. He pushed himself upward and grabbed onto the first of many rocks that stuck out and pulled himself up on it. But his grip on the soft earth wasn't like Tsume's, and he slid back down to the bottom again within seconds. Toboe tried again and again to get a good footing on the slope, and each time he got closer to the top, but then he would slip and fall back down again.

Pained and frustrated, the boy sat back down in defeat as he gazed yearningly at the night sky. But once he looked back down onto the ground, everything changed. He realized that all this time, he was making not boot prints in the dirt, but paw prints. Then all at once, Kiba's voice entered his mind:

"Things are gonna be different now, knowing what you are. You can't rely on your human side anymore; let your wolf side take over once in a while. You might just be surprised at what you could do…"

Toboe examined the dirt-covered palm of his hand, as he remembered the wisdom in Kiba's words. Then it hit him: of course Tsume would scale that wall so easily; he was climbing it like a wolf! Toboe's heart leapt at this revelation, and with newfound determination and strength, he rose to face the gauntlet one more time.

Again, he touched the soft earthy wall, this time with a paw instead of a hand. He could feel his claws digging deep into the earth, anchoring his footing better than before. With his second paw, he gripped onto a rock, which his claws could clutch onto. After taking a flying leap upwards, Toboe the Red wolf almost looked like he was flying. Further and further up the wall he climbed with his paws and claws digging deep and anchoring. Within minutes, he got a rush in his body that made him go into a full gallop. Defying gravity, he swooped up the wall and even passed Tsume on the way! The elder could only watch in amazement as the pup climbed ever closer to the top of the cliff in record time.

After minutes of hopeless waiting, Hige perked up and pointed downward. "Look! I see something. I think it's… It is! It's Toboe!"

"Toboe!" cheered Kiba, upon seeing his young protégé making his way into the moonlight. In his last leg of the climb, Toboe's arms were grabbed by both of his pack members and pulled to safety. As the three of them reunited, there came a barrage of laughs, cheers and scratches of heads.

The moment was almost completely shattered when Tsume made his way to the top. He dusted off his leather-covered arms and smiled snobbishly. "Well, I gotta hand it to you kid… you got spunk."

Hige raised a clutched fist up. "We going in for round two now?"

"Maybe later," smiled Tsume. "I dunno about you guys, but I could sure use a bath right now. Catcha later." With one long jump, the white-haired man was gone from sight.

"I guess he used up all his bite," guessed Hige out loud.

Then suddenly, "Achoo!" sneezed the dust-covered Toboe.

Hige couldn't help but laugh, "Hahaha! Looks like you need to clean up to, princess!"

"I smell water nearby," muttered Kiba. "We can rest there."

"Hang on, shouldn't we go after Leatherbutt first?" frowned Hige in disappointment.

"You didn't let me explain myself, Hige," Kiba gently smiled. "I smell water nearby… but that's not all I smell."

… …

The moon hung overhead like a chandelier, and with a small lake reflecting its light, the trio of wolves seemed to be walking into daylight. The lake sat just beyond the city's limits, beyond the stadium construction, and it seemed completely untouched by man by the look of the greenery surrounding it. At first, the only concern the wolves had was to get a drink of water, then their noses perked up. There was definitely something in the air, the scent of honey mixed with fruit, or something to that extent. Then, at long last, it appeared to them: a single lunar flower blooming in the center of the lake.

Kiba was the first to approach it, and as he did his heart pounded heavier than ever before. The flower's petals had just reached the surface of the water, its stem outstretched from below. A few sniffs was all he needed, and Kiba's mind was opened to that gentle feminine voice he had heard in his dreams.

"_You did it, Kiba. You've found this one."_

"_Who are you?"_ his thoughts whispered. _"Are you a flower, or a maiden?"_

"_This is just one of many, Kiba. We are all waiting for you."_

"_Where are the others?"_

"_The next one is living high in the mountains, where the snow never melts… Kiba, we are all waiting for you…"_

Hige and Toboe watched nearby as their friend and leader stood like a statue in front of the lily-white flower, as if he had fallen into a trance. "Kiba? Are you okay?" peeped Toboe. The alpha then looked up to his friends and smiled in a manner he never had before. "I've never felt better."

Toboe's ears then perked up again, and this time he smiled. "Listen! …You hear that?"

"Yeah," grinned Hige. "It sounds like someone's singing." A breeze came over the wolves, carrying the flower's scent and her ghostly voice all over the lake. As if entranced by a voice that only they could hear, the wolves began to dance for joy. Hige and Toboe chased each other, cutting through the water like two puppies at play. Kiba watched as they switched back and forth from humans to wolves, as if they had no control over themselves.

"Let's play Dunk The Runt!"

"Oh no, you don't! Hahaha!"

Even Kiba found himself laughing, although he knew that deep down, this was just another step in his long journey. He still had that riddle about the mountains to solve. But then, another scent reached his nose, and all at once the playing stopped. The three boys turned their attention to a strange presence at the bank of the lake.

What looked like the shadow of a wolf appeared before them, hiding in the shadows. At first they thought it was Tsume, looking to pick another fight. But the longer they stared at the stranger, the more they realized that this wolf was different. This one had bright blue eyes.

"It's her," whispered Hige, shocked by the wolf-dog's sudden appearance.

As if she too was drawn by the lunar flower, the black dog took a step forward. The moonlight was then shining down on her like a spotlight, and slowly her fur began to melt away. In its place appeared two black leather boots, followed by a dark skirt, then a black overcoat, then a red scarf folded around a tan throat. Finally, the face of a beautiful young woman with wild black hair and dazzling blue eyes came into light. The woman herself was amazed by this transformation, speechless and wide-eyed as if she was looking at a ghost. The wolves in the water were equally amazed; this was when they had realized that this female stalking them was actually part wolf.

For Hige, it was love at second sight. When his brown eyes met her blue ones, his heart skipped at least two beats. For that one fleeting moment, he couldn't breathe. But then the wolf-dog stepped back into the darkness, and she was a beast again. Fearful of her fate, she turned tail and fled. "Wait! …Come back!" shouted the love-stuck Hige. Kiba and Toboe could only watch as their friend took off after the stranger.

Now that a new side of herself had been awakened, Blue had no idea what to do. Her gut instinct was to run, and so she did. She could hear the big golden wolf tailing her, and she knew she couldn't outrun him. She ran through the forest until she ran out of breath, and was forced to face him once again.

Hige stood his ground, determined to speak with this strange yet enchanting female. "Who are you? …What do you want from us?"

"…_Stay back,"_ her inner voice kicked in. It was faint at first, but soon it would become loud and clear.

"Don't be afraid, I'm not gonna hurt you." He dared to take a step closer.

"_I'm warning you,"_ she snarled, her fur raised in terror. Her drive to fight was taking over quickly, and Hige could sense her tension. But still, he stood by as idly as he did when he found her in the rabbit trap.

"I don't understand why you want to fight me."

_"I was born to fight. That's my purpose… And what about you? Have you come to finish me off?"_

"Finish you off? …Oh, you mean that kick. Look, I only did that to stop you from hurting yourself."

The stern glare in her eyes shown she did not believe him. _"What kind of dog_ are _you?"_

Hige smiled pleasantly. "I'm not a dog, I'm a wolf… and apparently, so are you."

Blue's ears perked up, and her snarl ceased. Confused by the boy's words, she finally paused to listen to him. He seemed to know a lot more about herself than even she did. But just as the tension between them faded, a horrific sound cut into the air. It sounded like a howl, but unlike any wolf howl.

It could only mean one thing: the werewolves were coming.

TBC

Next, **"Black and Blue"**


	4. Black And Blue

_It was the beginning of the end for White Fang-the ending of the old life and the reign of hate. A new and comprehensively fairer life was dawning. It required much thinking and endless patience on the part of Weedon Scott to accomplish this. And on the part of White Fang it required nothing less than a revolution. He had to ignore the urges and promptings of instinct and reason, defy experience, give the lie to life itself._

-From Jack London's _White Fang_

**Wolf's Storm**

By Snodin

Based on "Wolf's Rain," created and owned by BONES

**Grope 4.**

"**Black And Blue"**

Now that a new side of herself had been awakened, Blue had no idea what to do. Her gut instinct was to run, and so she did. She could hear the big golden wolf tailing her, and she knew she couldn't outrun him. She ran through the forest until she ran out of breath, and was forced to face him once again.

Hige stood his ground, determined to speak with this strange yet enchanting female. "Who are you? …What do you want from us?"

"…_Stay back,"_ her inner voice kicked in. It was faint at first, but soon it would become loud and clear.

"Don't be afraid, I'm not gonna hurt you." He dared to take a step closer.

"_I'm warning you,"_ she snarled, her fur raised in terror. Her drive to fight was taking over quickly, and Hige could sense her tension. But still, he stood by as idly as he did when he found her in the rabbit trap.

"I don't understand why you want to fight me."

"_I was born to fight. That's my purpose… And what about you? Have you come to finish me off?"_

"Finish you off? …Oh, you mean that kick. Look, I only did that to stop you from hurting yourself."

The stern glare in her eyes shown she did not believe him. _"What kind of dog_ are _you?"_

Hige smiled pleasantly. "I'm not a dog, I'm a wolf… and apparently, so are you."

Blue's ears perked up, and her snarl ceased. Confused by the boy's words, she finally paused to listen to him. He seemed to know a lot more about herself than even she did.

…

Kiba and Toboe wandered slowly into the woods after Hige, both sure that the chubby golden wolf would be easy to find. But Toboe was in a much more disapproving mood than his elder was.

"I can't believe he'd just run off like that," he whined. "He didn't even think to signal to us to come along."

Kiba kept his cool and just smiled. "He's just following his nose as usual… Don't worry, you'll understand when you're older."

The two of them stopped in their tracks when an eerie sound pierced the air, the sound of a wolf howl- but unlike any they had ever heard before. It sounded both mournful and blood-curdling, like a predator mourning its prey upon killing it. The hairs on their heads (and fur) stood on end in alarm.

"Kiba… Who—w-what was that?"

"I dunno, but it certainly wasn't Hige…"

…

After Kiba and company left the lunar flower to bask in the moonlight in the heart of the lake, the grey wolf Tsume appeared at the scene. He too had been following his nose toward the flower's scent, only he was misdirected by a chilly wind. But here he was, at long last, gazing peacefully at the flower as if a heavy burden had been lifted off his shoulders. He trotted into the water toward the small flower, which looked more like a lily pad's blossom with its petals surrounded by water. He then touched it gently with his wet nose, and his mind was soon invaded by the voice of a young maiden.

"_You did it, Tsume. You've found this one."_

"_I knew I would,"_ his thoughts replied. _"I knew I was The One…"_

"_Tsume… We are all waiting for you. The next one can be found in the mountains, where the snow--"_

The maiden's voice didn't get to finish her sentence; as a red flash bolted across the lake, her signal was cut off. The grey wolf looked up in shock, seeing that the flower was plucked right from his sights. The sound of a curdling growl on the bank of the lake made his ears twitch; someone was there, chuckling, mocking him. He looked to his far left, and sure enough two yellow eyes flickered in the darkness. Beneath them was a long, dark snout with drooling fangs, with the plucked lunar flower stuck between them.

Tsume readied for battle in his human form, with his imaginary knife in place of his claws. "Who are you, and what the hell are you doing!?"

The creature in the darkness replied in a deep, rippling voice. "I've come to claim what is rightfully mine…"

Then a chorus of growls and snarls surrounded Tsume, all coming from the edge of the pool. He found himself staring down a wall of glowing eyes and crooked fangs, with just a hint of red on their fuzzy backs. From the look at how they stood- upright with a hunch- they were much taller than regular wolves. Before he could even react to their sudden appearance, Tsume was ambushed from all sides.

…

From deep within the forest, Kiba's ears twitched at the sound of a wolf's painful yelps. "…Tsume," he guessed correctly.

Toboe had no time to respond; that very next moment, the foliage behind him was ripped apart by a giant, bipedal wolf-like creature, its mouth gaped wide open and letting out a monstrous roar. Toboe could only scream as his body went limp, panic-stricken.

"Toboe!!" barked Kiba in surprise, before charging toward the dark-furred and red-robed beast. The white wolf took a running leap toward it, but the creature raised its muscular, human-like arm and swatted him away like a fly. Kiba went spinning into a bush nearby, much to Toboe's horror. "Kiba," was all he could muster.

Kiba wasn't unconscious, however; he tried to get back on his four paws as quickly as possible, but by then the monster slumped onto his own four paws and approached the Red wolf pup slowly. It grinned in a way that only a human can, only it wasn't a man. It wasn't a wolf, either. And yet, at the same time, it was both. Its nose was tickled by Toboe's fearful scent, and it licked it lips hungrily. Toboe could only manage to shield his head with his arms and whimper, though it wouldn't have done any good. The beast was intent on eating him alive.

Suddenly, a black bolt struck the beast in the neck. At first, it only felt like a shove, but then fangs sank into his skin. The werewolf backed up onto his hind legs, violently shaking itself free of Blue's grip, but it was no use. The wolf-dog, programmed to fight to the death, was in her zone. She had no intention of letting go of this new opponent, even while he tried to claw and pull her off.

Kiba rushed to Toboe's side; "Toboe, are you okay?" he panted. The pup nodded softly, "Yeah… but…" His eyes were then fixed on the tall beast, now at the mercy of the small but tenacious wolf-dog.

Hige then rushed to the scene, and looked just as horrified as his friends were by the look of the fight unfolding. "We've gotta help her!" he gasped.

"Which one?" replied Kiba half-jokingly; "The wolf-dog, or the monster?"

With its fury at full power, the werewolf threw his own body into a tree in an attempt to knock Blue off of him. It would take a second attempt for the effect to work, but Blue still wasn't finished with him. As she fell onto her back, she rolled back onto her feet in record time and leapt onto the creature's face. Her fangs dug deeply into his snout, making him scream in pain. Not able to take any more punishment, the werewolf punched her in the stomach, only to take off in flight. He darted into the darkness of the woods, howling like a dying coyote.

When Blue rose to her feet again, she took on the form of the dark-skinned woman with the red scarf and black overcoat. She was panting and scraped, but the glare in her eyes showed that she was ready for more battle. The boys paused in awe at the sight of such a bold she-wolf, but only Hige was brave enough to go near her.

But when he tried to touch her on the shoulder, she snapped harshly, "Don't touch me!"

He jumped backward in surprise. "Hey, it's okay! I just wanna see if you're alright."

She turned her head away. "I'm fine. Now stay out of my way." She then took off after the retreating werewolf without even looking back at the wolves she had just rescued.

Toboe started to shiver, and it seemed like he didn't know how to stop. Kiba rested his hand on the pup's shoulder while Hige joined their sides. "She's a real firecracker, that one." "You're a lucky guy," Kiba replied almost sarcastically.

"That… that was no wolf…" murmured the shaking Toboe. "That was… s-some kind of monster."

"It's gonna be okay, Toboe," Kiba tried to reassure him. "…Hige, can you stay with him while I go check something out?"

"Sure, Kiba." Hige sat down by the traumatized pup while Kiba rushed back to the lake, where he was sure to find Tsume… dead or alive.

…

Tsume was in fact alive, but laying helplessly on his side by the lake's bank, bleeding from the head and knocked out cold. He was lucky that the werewolves didn't have it in them to eat him up; perhaps they were more concerned about the flower than eating. Nevertheless, he was one lucky wolf when Kiba arrived. The white wolf scanned the area for other monsters, and when the coast was clear, he leaned down to see if he could make contact with his scarred rival.

"_Tsume! Can you hear me? It's Kiba! …Tsume?"_ He nuzzled him with his snow-white snout, but there was no response from the grey wolf. _"Hang on, I'll get you back to your pack. Just hang in there."_

In human form, Kiba scooped up Tsume and carefully hunched him over his shoulder. Then with great speed, he charged through the forest and back to civilization.

… …

He wasn't expecting a warm welcome upon arriving at Tsume's hangout, but Kiba probably wasn't expecting the wolf gang to attack him head on either. But when they saw this strange new wolf running to their doorstep with their bloodied and unconscious leader on his back, they took it as a challenge. Three Toes and Jean-Baptiste tackled him and pinned him to the ground, while Fenris scooped Tsume's limp body into his arms.

"So you're the one the boss wanted to meet with, huh?" growled Fenris, staring fiercely at Kiba as he was forced to one knee.

With Jean-Baptiste and Three Toes holding his arms, Kiba protested. "I'm not the one that did this. My pack and I were attacked by the lake outside the city, by huge monsters. They're the ones that hurt Tsume."

"Monsters? What kind of monsters?"

"They looked a little like wolves, but were much bigger. They could still be here, in this city."

"A likely story," snarled Three Toes as his grip on Kiba's arm tightened. "What do you got to prove it?"

"Nothing," winced Kiba, "but once Tsume wakes up he'll tell you all about it."

"And what is Tsume doesn't wake up?" asked Fenris with a hint of venom in his voice.

"Just listen to me," warned Kiba firmly. "You're all in great danger; these wolf-mutants tried to kill one of my own. We have to leave, or join forces against them. Or else they'll kill us all."

Then the alpha female, Asena, stepped forward. She walked up to Fenris and quickly observed Tsume's head wound. After a moment of silence, she looked to Jean-Baptiste and Three Toes with a stern look. "Let him go."

"What!?" gasped Three Toes. "This guy's either lying or crazy! Look, he clearly-"

"He's proven himself by bringing Tsume back. If he wanted to kill him, he would have; but Tsume's alive. Let him go."

The two bullying wolves reluctantly loosed their grips on Kiba, and as he rose to his feet, he gave Asena a soft nod. "Thank you."

The purple-haired woman gazed at him with reserved contempt. "Know this, stranger: we don't take kindly to those who hurt our kin, so you better be telling the truth about these so-called monsters." She then turned around to face the rest of her pack. "Back to base!" Kiba watched as the motley crew leapt into the dark alleyway, vanishing without a trace.

… …

Hige and Toboe were on their own for the next hour or so, but they had their own hunt to carry out. Now that his initial trauma was shaken off, Toboe followed his elder on the trail of the beautiful wolf-dog that came to their rescue. They would find her wandering back to the city, where the streets were still dirty with forest earth and the houses fairly separated from each other. It looked almost like a ghost town, this small patch of suburbia.

Blue's nose was following the scent of the werewolf pack, and she could also smell hints of blood in their tracks. She knew that her opponent was weakened by their fight, and she never let an opponent walk away before. She had to kill him; it was her mission, her purpose. But all of that instinct became subdued when her ears picked up the sounds of footprints coming from behind. It was Hige and Toboe, keeping a safe distance from her, but clearly stalking her. The woman became quickly annoyed and sighed.

"How long do you intend on following me?" she called out to them.

"Until you stop running," smiled Hige in reply.

Toboe added, "I just wanted to thank you for saving us back in the woods, lady. You were really awesome!"

"I didn't do it for you, I only did it to fulfill my purpose in life," replied the woman darkly.

The pup looked confused, but then smiled, "Well in any case, you were awesome! My name's Toboe."

"And I'm Hige. What's your name, Miss?"

Blue rolled her sapphire eyes. "Don't you have anything better to do than harass me?"

Hige then replied with a sly grin on his face, "Hey, you were the one that was following us to Moors, remember?"

"I wasn't following you… I was following something else."

Then the curious pup ran up to the woman's side. "Was it the lunar flower's scent you were following?"

She glanced down at the long-haired boy, unsure of what to make of him. "What's it to you?"

The boy smiled innocently, "We're following the lunar flowers too; they're gonna show us the way to Paradise. Have you ever heard of it? I'm sure you have; every wolf knows… Or are you more dog than wolf? I'm confused."

"Wolf. Dog. What difference does it make? All I know is that I'm a fighter, and I have to win."

Then Hige quickened his step until he was right behind the dark-colored woman. "Who says you have to fight all the time?" he dared to ask.

She simply replied, "My Master."

The boys stopped for a moment to think about the woman's words, until she was now five steps ahead of them. Hige then started walking again with Toboe in tow, ready with his next question: "So let me get this straight: you're a wolf-dog hybrid that was raised by a human?"

"Yes, exactly."

"So where is he? Your Master, I mean?" asked Toboe nervously, hoping he wouldn't offend her.

"I don't know," confessed the woman. "We were running from his enemies, and he told me to just keep running. And so I did… That was the last time I ever saw him."

"So you're free now," smiled Hige warmly. "That's great, 'cause now you can be your own master."

The woman then stopped in her tracks again. This time her body tensed, the same way it would before a big fight. The boys could sense that her mood had changed and took caution. She said, "I'm not sure how it is for you wolves, but I know how it is for me. My mother told me a long time ago, when I was a pup, that everyone has a purpose. She told me that someone was going to take me in and teach me how to live, how to act, how to be what I was always meant to be. And she was right; many people wanted to take me in as their pet, but one stayed with me longer than anyone. His name was Bradley…"

"Was he a nice owner?" blinked Toboe.

"He showed me how to be a fighter."

"…That wasn't the question," frowned Hige. "He asked you if Bradley was nice to you."

The woman turned to look Hige in the eyes. "He was nice. …He gave me food, shelter, and always told me that I was going to make him proud. And I did everything he wanted me to, and rewarded me with praise."

"Um," gulped Toboe. "Please don't get mad, but I just wanna ask you something… How did he teach you how to fight?"

"You know… With motivation."

_She could feel the sting of his club, even in her memories. Her neck was tightened by the short leash knotted to the pole, which she couldn't escape. Over and over again, he beat her in the face, screaming, "Fight back, girl! Come on! Fight, you stupid mutt!"_

"What kind of motivation?" asked Hige, looking both suspicious and concerned.

The woman furrowed her eyebrows at the question. "…He taught me how to defend myself."

"_Bite the stick. Bite it!" yelled Bradley as he practically shoved it into her mouth. He paid no mind to the juvenile pup's yelps and whimpers. She shrunk in her prison, submitting to his domination but knowing she needed to do something more. What more, she couldn't understand. "Come on," moaned Bradley. "You're a fierce wolf-dog! Start acting like one. Bite!" Again he prodded her with the sharp stick, and again she yelped. But just when he was about to give up, the pup took one last look at his weapon, and lashed her fangs at it. "Good!" cheered her master. "Good job! Finally!"_

"Defense comes naturally, doesn't it?" asked Hige.

"Of course it does, but in the fighting world you need more than just a defensive tactic. You also need to go on the offensive."

_Bradley shoved a small Chihuahua into Blue's pen one particular day. "Okay, girl. This is it, your first real test," he said sternly to her. "Attack!" At first the bigger dog just sat there in her cage, staring curiously at the little one. "Kill it, girl! Get it!" shouted the wolf-dog's master. Then he instigated the small dog by whipping it a few times with his belt. Automatically, the Chihuahua's fangs popped out and it growled vengefully. "Now, girl! Get it! Bite!" When his protégé wouldn't obey, he turned his violence toward her with his club. Already having a hateful grudge against the club, she attacked it first. "Bite. Good! Now…" Bradley pointed to the small growling dog. "Bite! …BITE!" The wolf-dog then understood what he meant, and did just as he told her to. Moments later, the Chihuahua was no more._

"…Nothing you're saying makes sense," frowned Hige, whose words snapped Blue out of her trance of memories. "It just sounds like the guy forced you into becoming a fighter. Did you even want to live like that?"

"It never mattered what I've wanted," replied Blue in a defensive tone of voice. "You don't understand… I was meant to have a Master, to honor him and obey him. You wolves just don't get that."

Hige's face turned to a grimace, feeling both offended and sorrowful for this poor confused female. "You're right. I don't get it… I don't get how you could let somebody decide your life for you like that. And what's worse, it's a waste of a life, always having to fight and kill for no reason. And look what you're doing now; you're going after those mutants, aren't you? You wouldn't even care if they killed you, so long as you get a great battle? That's how it is, isn't it? That's how you perceive life, as one big battleground and everyone's your opponent. Right?"

"That's who I am," nodded the woman.

"Then I feel sorry for you," frowned the wolf. "You're not a wolf or a dog… you're a robot."

Blue stepped away from the two boys, the flame of anger burning in her eyes. "Who are you to judge me? You wouldn't know what it's like to have someone to care for you and feed you…"

Hige shook his head. "That's where you're wrong, lady. I was rescued by humans when I was younger. They were good to me; they nursed me back to health. And you know what else they did? They let me and my cousins live freely in the woods, just as we were meant to. They never forced us into anything, unlike your Bradley."

"At least Bradley gave me guidance."

"No one has to be taught how to defend themselves. I'm gonna go out on a limb here, and guess that your Bradley made you fight by putting you through hell. How did he motivate you, by starving you? Did he throw you into a pit full of wild dogs? …Did he hit you?" Hige watched closely as the woman's eyes widened with surprise, as if they testified to the truth. "…He hit you, didn't he? He hit you until you couldn't take it anymore. …That's not guidance, lady. That's called abuse."

"Shut up!" barked the young woman, covering her ears in defiance. Her eyes shut tightly to hold back tears. "Just shut your big fat mouth! I'm not a robot! I'm… I have a reason to be here!"

"I'm not trying to upset you," said Hige soothingly as he reached out to her. But she swatted his arm away, screaming, "Just leave me alone! All of you!!" She then turned tail and made a mad dash down the street.

Neither Hige nor Toboe made an attempt to follow her; they knew in their hearts that they hit a nerve in the wolf-dog's heart. But the damage had been done, and all they could do was look at each other, exchanging frowns of remorse, and sigh.

… …

After analyzing the wolf fur taken from the woods, coupled with computer-digitized copies of the photographed paw prints, Cher and her team of scientists were only inches closer to discovering the truth- it was still a long shot, but nevertheless, they were closer. From the look of the paw prints, there was a sign that these were in fact human tracks; the toes were much smaller and well rounded as opposed to the wolf's oval-shaped toes. Plus, the claw marks were shorter, and the shape of the foot's base was longer and wider than a real wolf's. This was a sign to Cher that…

"Something's not adding up."

"What do you mean, doc?" asked one of her younger associates nearby.

Cher removed her glasses to rub her tired nose. "These paw prints look more like human tracks, but the fur samples are clearly lupine. It doesn't make much sense…"

Her friend and equal, Sarah, walked by and smiled almost sarcastically, "Sounds like the victims were right; we're dealing with some kind of mutants with long hair."

"Hmph," smirked Cher as she leaned back in her chair. "If it were that easy, I'd close the book on the case right now. …But if they're still out there, we need to find and study them. Their tracks led straight out of the forest, which means they could be heading for Moors City."

Before her friends could even feel a chill of worry, young Mike came forward with a look of deep concern on his face. "Um… Miss Cher? …Sorry, Doc."

"It's okay, Mike. Go ahead."

"Uh, I've been keeping tabs on your wolves in Pristine Park, and… I dunno if this is anything to worry about, but… one of the collar signals is way, way off track." He paused to see Cher's expression grow all the more curious before he went on to say, "It looks like he wandered straight out of the park."

Cher was indeed worried; her wolves were like children to her, and she hated to think that the mutants would harm one of them. With a bit lip she asked, "Which one?"

… …

… …

"Breakfast!" sung Hige, as he slid into the scene of a back alleyway, holding fresh cold cuts in his arms and on his head.

Kiba and Toboe patiently waited on the steps of an apartment's back doorway. It was still early; the sun had just risen and the sky was painted with gold and pink clouds. The duo gladly welcomed back Hige after he went to "pick up some grub."

He tossed the cold cuts to his friends playfully; "Fresh off the press! Eat up, while it's still cold!" he cheered.

Toboe gave his slab of beef a quick sniff before he frowned, "Did you steal this meat, Hige?"

The big teen already had half a steak in his mouth as he replied, "Welp, it wafn't wike I had caff on me, forty…" He gulped. "Besides, it's either this or go hunting for some deer. You up for that yet?"

"No," Toboe admitted while bowing his head in shame. "But this is against the law."

"We're wolves, Tob! We don't live by man's law; our law is 'eat or be eaten.' Right, Kiba?"

Kiba glanced over at his young friend and gently replied, "Eat up, Toboe; everything's fine."

Ignoring Hige's defiant tone of voice, Toboe instead trusted Kiba's judgment and bit into the meat. "…It is good," he murmured. "What is it?"

"Mutton," smiled Hige.

"What's mutton?"

"Don't ask," warned Kiba.

The young wolves ate to their hearts content, then Hige and Toboe moved on to some rough play-fighting. This has become the normal ritual for the trio- eat, play, move on. They had no idea that from the top of the building opposite the apartment, they were being watched. The young lady with feathery black hair, dark overcoat, red scarf and bright blue eyes leaned against the edge of the rooftop as she watched the wolves at play. This was the first time in her short life that she had seen canines of any kind act so friendly toward each other; even their play was innocent. It fascinated her, intrigued her… and at the same time, her heart was sinking with guilt. She was beginning to wish that she had lived like these wolves, carefree and happily. But for Bluie, it seemed that it was too late for her.

…

Blue would spend the rest of that day wandering aimlessly through the city, her head swarming with memories of her Master's abuse, and of her recent encounter with the one called Hige. She knew that he was right, that she was more robot than living creature. But she was too proud and perhaps even too stubborn to say it out loud. And, she thought, it made no difference anyway; her path was etched out a long time ago, and that there was no going back. She had no idea how to be kind to her fellow canine, to welcome them with a smile and a wag of the tail, to lower her posture to show no threat of aggression. No, her first instinct was to snarl, charge and bite. That's who she was… or was it?

As she wandered through the alleys, Blue came to terms with what Hige told her, that she was free now and no longer had to answer to any human. Perhaps running away from Bradley was the best thing that could ever happen to her. Maybe now, in this new place, she could start again. A clean slate, they called it. …Then again, she would tell herself, it would only be a matter of time before she would revert to her pit-fighting nature. Such thoughts made her shake with frustrated guilt. Then, she decided that there was only one way to be sure. She would have to test herself.

She found her way to a small corner of an alley were trash was dumped. There, a stray dog was scraping for food. This was just the scenario Blue wanted; one long dog, one insignificant creature whose fate no one would care for. It wouldn't have mattered if she would kill this poor fleabag or not; hell, it might have even been an act of charity to put him out of his misery. But Blue knew that if she did so, she would be no step closer to true freedom. She, the black wolf-dog with spooky blue eyes, approached the mongrel.

Without so much as a whimper, the young yellow mongrel turned to face the large black beast. He looked curious; his ears perked up, though they were floppy, and his curly tail began to wag. Blue stood her ground, unsure of whether to pin back her ears or droop them down to assume a submissive posture. But her ears never flinched, they just stood straight up like a pair of horns. It was the mongrel who made the first move.

He approached her with a wide open mouth and drooling tongue, panting happily at the sight of a new friend. His nose twitched as he sniffed the strange black dog's muzzle. Blue stood still, trying to hold herself back from making a mistake. Then the yellow mongrel moved toward her backside; it was customary for dogs to study each other's scents. But Blue was unaware of this, and jerked her body around as a means of blocking the young pup's way. He cocked his head in response to this; perhaps she was a dominant dog, one who denied all others the chance to explore her completely. He then bowed his whole front side before her, as if genuflecting to royalty. In truth, this was his way of saying he was no threat.

Blue had seen this posture before, but never knew exactly what it meant. She mimicked the pup by bowing to him, waiting to see his reaction. The pup then realized that this dog was trustworthy, and without warning, she gave her a tiny lick on her nose. She froze in surprise, and made no attempt to react. She was afraid of destroying the pup's trust, even with just a flicker of the ear. But the pup had suddenly lost interest in her, and scampered off in search of the next meal.

Blue watched him gallop away, feeling proud of herself for not listening to her predatory instincts. Perhaps the wolves were right; maybe she could change for the better. Maybe she really was free…

… …

Tsume recovered fast from his wounds, and by mid-afternoon that day he was already setting on the long journey to the north. He and his friends gathered in a small park, eating their fill of recently stolen meat from the market. In one instant, they ate hearty like the ravenous canines they were; but in the next instant, Fenris' keen nose picked up a scent. "Humans," he muttered, and just like that the group hid their cold cuts from view, acting like innocent bystanders.

Those who walked into the scene were a troupe of weary men, each as thin as a pole. Their clothes were tattered and dirty, and only when Tsume glanced at them a second time, he realized that they weren't wearing shoes. Puzzled, he got up on his feet and approached them.

"You guys lost?" he asked rather kindly.

"Get outta the way," moaned the leader of the wandering group.

"There's a shelter not far from here," urged the concerned Tsume.

"We ain't bums," growled the man. "We just had a run o' bad luck, that's all… But we would like to find out where we can get some food."

Tsume pointed west; "There's a food court down that way." As he said this, the wind blew against his face, sending the mens' scents his way. Without even a reply, the tired and famished men wandered off in the direction they were directed. Tsume's yellow eyes beamed with surprise, but made no attempt to react otherwise.

As he watched the strangers move off, he went back to his pack and said softly, "We've gotta get out of this city, the sooner the better."

"But we don't even know which way to go," frowned Three Toes.

"Anywhere is good for now," replied Tsume, his eyes still fixed on the departing strangers. Before his friends could ask what his problem was, the alpha male stared into their eyes. "They're not human."

… …

By sundown, Cher and three of her friends had arrived in Moors. The blonde leader held a remote tracking device in her hand as if it was glued there, as she and her team wandered into the city's center. The signal was now closer than ever; a green light on the remote's screen flashed closer and closer to its core, indicating that their subject was definitely near. But why he was near was what they really wanted to know.

Cher stopped in the mid-square of the city and instructed, "Mike, you take the east side. Sarah, the west. Carl, you follow this street up ahead. I'll stay here and check the monitor. As soon as he moves on, I'll radio you all." They agreed on the plan and separated.

Cher followed her radio like a beacon in the darkness; she barely paid attention to the busy streets flooded with cars, or the people rushing down the pavements on their way to the bus stations. It was rush hour, the most active time of the day. But it wasn't a human she was looking for, it was a wolf- _her_ wolf. Her Special One. And her radio trackers never lied.

She almost didn't notice when it happened, but Cher's tracker's beeping sound began to accelerate and beep even louder. The green flashing light on the tracker's screen was nearly in the dead-center. He was near, she was sure of it. She looked upward toward the humans passing her by to see if he was in sight. But all she saw was a trio of young boys; one with dark brunette hair, a leather jacket and jeans, the second taller with sweats and fiery brown hair, the third a tween with long rusty-brown hair, red blouse and tan khakis. As they crossed the street across from Cher's, the green light flashed from center to left, then further left, further…

"What's going on?" she hummed in reaction to the signal's change of direction. She couldn't understand how she would miss her wolf when he was clearly within her reach. She tapped the radio attached to her ear like a hearing aid; "Guys, he's on the move. He's heading for the train station."

…

A lot of people were heading for the train station in mid-town, but clearly one of them was moving on four paws. Cher was the first to make it there; she had run the whole way. According to her tracking device, her special wolf had not only entered the station's main floor, but he also descended one of its stairways. He was heading for the subway. Cher gulped in worry; surely if someone saw him, they would either trap or kill him. But just as she was about to step forward into the building, she heard a most disturbing sound nearby.

"_uuuugh…"_

Curious, she stranded from her track and turned around the corner. To her shock, she found a man crouched down in a small crevice of the building, shivering like a leaf. As she approached him, she could see that his trench coat was brutally torn, and his frame was weak with starvation. Perhaps he was a homeless man, desperate for shelter from the wind. And Cher was, by nature, a charitable person.

"Excuse me," she chimed. "Do you need help? …Are you lost, sir?" He slowly and weakly turned his head to face her. In reaction, she took a step back and gasped, "No… it can't be!"

It was Detective Lebowski, for sure. His hair was matted, and his face was no longer clean-shaven but slowly growing facial hair. His eyes looked so tired and droopy that they looked as though they could fall off at any second. There were dark circles under his eyes, with wrinkles that made him look slightly older.

"Detective!" Cher gasped again. "…Is it really you? You're still alive?"

She wasn't sure if he would recognized her; he looked shocked enough to see anyone at that point. But he didn't respond; he barely even flinched. At least, not until he realized that it was getting dark. He could see the last lights of the sun fading from the windows across the way.

He slightly turned himself toward the biologist, and reached out to her with a trembling hand. "Please… help me…"

Cher returned the gesture. "Come with me, I'll take you to a hospital."

"Please…"

"It's okay, detective. You're safe now."

"No… No, you're not safe," he murmured, hiding a growl behind his breath.

"What? What did you say?" she blinked.

"Leave… leave me, now." He struggled to get onto his feet, which were bare. His legs wiggled, showing his pants were torn from the knees.

"But detective…"

"Leave me. It's not safe… The sun!" He pointed upward toward the sun's reflection in the windows. But it was too late; the lights were now gone. "No… No, not now." He crept back into his hiding spot, his hands tightly grasping his head.

Cher dared to approach him. "Just hang on, I'll call for help right now." She pulled out a cell phone from her jacket and quickly dialed three digits. She failed to see that her friend was shivering compulsively, and slowly growing twice in size. "Yes, hello!" she spoke into her phone. "I'm just outside the train station. I have a man here who's in need of help. …Well, he looks like he's been through a war zone! He's thin, shaking, and… I'm sorry, what was that? …I just told you, the mid-town train station! …My name is Doctor Cher Degre. But why is that important? …This is a police officer we're talking about! …YES, it's an emergency! Why else would I be calling?"

Suddenly, a light tan, furry claw grabbed her arm. Cher had barely any time to scream as her cell phone fell to the ground. She turned around, and looked with horrified eyes into the face of a man whose face had just been warped into that of a large wolf, whose fur matched the tan hair on Lebowski's head.

"I told you to leave… I don't want **to EAT YOU!!!"**

…

Kiba and company were walking straight to the train that would take them far out of the city. They knew that while they were still in human form, no one would protest their presence. But Toboe was particularly antsy; he had never seen a train before, let alone enter one.

"Are you sure she mentioned mountains?" asked Hige to Kiba. "Where the snow never melts?"

"Those were her exact words," nodded Kiba.

"Can't we just run there?" frowned the anxious young Toboe. "I mean, not that I'm scared of trains… it's just… all these people."

"Relax Toboe," smiled Kiba; "It's not like we're gonna shed our shadows and show that we're wolves."

No sooner than he said that, sharp high-pitched screams rang out from far behind them. Everyone, including the wolves, gasped and looked around frantically. "Monsters!" someone screamed, sending everyone in a panic.

Kiba's nose twitched, and his eyes lit up. "It's them." He charged toward the screams, with his curious and startled friends in tow.

Up the stairs they ran, into the main floor of the great train station. There, they were met with a rampaging werewolf, whose red robe was still attached to his neck and shoulders. The tall, red-furred beast was tossing people around like rag dolls, and was drooling madly.

"**Foooood,"** it moaned in an inhuman voice. **"Give me foooood!"**

Kiba started to bear his fangs, when Toboe grabbed his arm. "Kiba, don't!" he warned; "They're too strong for us!" But the white wolf didn't listen; he knew what the werewolf was really after.

He jumped a distance that only a human could dream of, straight into the rampaging werewolf's path. The red beast was holding a poor man over his shoulder frame. "Let him go," growled Kiba. The red beast just hissed at him in reply, **"You… you look like a hot dog. Heeeh… tasty."** With that, he tossed the human away and raised his claws toward Kiba.

The Arctic wolf's fangs were ready, and chomped down on the were's claws. The frenzied humans didn't seem to take notice that the monster was now swatting at a regal white wolf as they fled the scene. Kiba had been knocked down by one of these mutants before, but now he was bringing his A-game, jumping like a frog at every swipe and biting at the enemy's legs.

It didn't take Hige long to join in on the action, he too shedding his human shadow. He attacked from behind while Kiba attacked from the front, but the relentless mutant kept on wailing and chattering his drooly fangs at them. With no other option, Hige jumped in front of Kiba to give him a boost; Kiba jumped from Hige's husky back and landed right onto the werewolf's neck, biting down as hard as he could. It would seem that werewolves were not that invincible; with a torn throat, the monster fell onto his side.

Kiba and Hige stepped back to take a few breaths, one someone shouted, "There's more outside!" Kiba reacted quickly by running for the nearest exit. Hige followed right behind, but Toboe was reluctant. He couldn't even begin to guess why his friends were so willing to fight, when the more obvious option would be to flee.

…

Sure enough, three more rd-robed werewolves were parading in the streets, one a midnight-blue, the others dark brown. They were quick to snap up people's luggage and purses and tear them apart, desperate in their search for sustenance. Kiba faced them in his human form again and shouted, "What do you want!?" The midnight blue one stood on his hind quarters, towering over even his fellow weres, and smiled eerily at Kiba.

"We want Paradise," it hissed malevolently.

Kiba gasped in response, but firmly stood his ground. "…Paradise is no place for monsters like you."

Before the werewolf could respond, a familiar voice cried out, "He's right!" They all turned around, and saw Tsume and his pack staring down the werewolves from behind. The yellow-eyed man recognized them instantly s his attackers by the pool. "Where's the lunar flower? I know you took it," he said in a low, threatening tone.

"Heh-heh-heh-heh," the dark one replied with a crooked smile. "The Alpha has it…"

"And where is he?" Tsume wondered.

"You'll never get him," grinned the werewolf. "He's got the spirit of darkness by his side."

Tsume then cracked his knuckles. "Well then, I guess I'll just have to settle with you." Then the grey wolf launched himself at the midnight blue werewolf, only to be blocked off by one of the dark brown ones.

Tsume's pack charged vengefully, each shedding their illusions as they leapt forward. The wolves outnumbered the mutants, piling onto them like vultures on a carcass. But the weres were much bigger and stronger, and soon shook them off. Kiba was all too willing to join in on the fight, biting into one werewolf's claws before they could scratch out Tsume's eyes.

The midnight blue one proved to be the strongest werewolf of all; while his brethren fell to Tsume's pack, he stood back up and took up a bizarre weapon: a severed werewolf leg, which he tore off himself. Like a club, he swung it at the wolves and knocked the wind out of most of them. When he got to Kiba, he was quick to grab the white wolf's throat while the wolf was in mid-jump. **"Finally,"** grinned the werewolf as he drooled, **"I feed…"**

"**NO!"** roared Lebowski, who jumped out of nowhere onto his darker brethren. The light tan werewolf gripped onto the dark one's "club"-wielding hand, prying it from him. As he pinned the dark one down, the smaller werewolf glanced toward Tsume. **"Now…!"** Tsume paused at first, but then responded by sinking his fangs into the dark werewolf's throat.

The tension calmed down slowly as the evil werewolf breathed his last. The tan werewolf with the torn blue shirt that he seemed to wear as a cape then stood straight up, his tan pants still in tact. He looked intently at Tsume, recognizing him as a pack leader, with glowing yellow eyes. "They're headed for Bear Valley," he whispered in a more human-like voice. Before the wolves could respond, Lebowski leapt away and galloped on all fours into the night.

Nearby, an unscathed but emotionally troubled Cher had just woken up after fainting. She wobbled onto the scene just as the wolves had dispersed, just missing them. But now that she discovered the bodies of three werewolves, she at least had something to show for her trouble. With a trembling hand, she pressed the button of her microphone radio. "Guys… the train station… there's… you've just got to see it." As she finished her sentence, her legs buckled and she slumped onto her knees, exhausted with fear.

… …

The wolves, both Kiba's and Tsume's pack, all gathered onto a rooftop in mid-town. After cleaning their wounds and catching their breath, the two packs looked each other over carefully.

After minutes of silence, Tsume finally said, "You kids did good today."

"Why thank you," smiled Kiba hopefully. "Does this mean we can search for Paradise together?"

"…Ha! You wish," smiled the stubborn grey wolf. "We'll beat you to it. Let's go, guys!" With that, Tsume led his pack to jump over one rooftop after another; Kiba and his friends watched until they were gone from sight.

"Well that was a helluva thank you," shrugged Hige disapprovingly.

"Where are they going?" asked Toboe.

"To a place called Bear Valley," replied Kiba; "which is exactly where we're going."

The trio raced over the rooftops for a while, until Hige stopped to hear the lonely howl of a lone wolf. Recognizing the voice, Hige gasped, "Guys, stop! Listen…" The three of them paused until the howl was heard again.

"…Hige…!"

The tall teen responded by peering over the roof. Sure enough, the black wolf-dog was standing on the ground, looking up at him with those haunting blue eyes. Ecstatically he raced down the building's iron staircase to meet with her, while the others followed close behind.

Facing the young woman in the black overcoat, Hige smiled almost affectionately. "Couldn't stay away from me, could ya?"

The woman giggled softly, "Heh… I was just getting bored."

"You missed a great fight; we had those mutants begging for mercy!"

"I know. I was there."

"What!?" Hige looked at her with disbelief. "Why didn't you join in? I thought you wanted to kill those creeps."

The woman shrugged, "I was holding back, because… well… the truth is, I don't want to _have_ to fight anymore." She noticed the genuine relief in his smile before she went on; "I know, you were right and I was wrong. Big Strong Manly Wolf is better than Stray Girl Dog. But don't get used to it."

"I didn't say anything," he blushed.

"…Where are you going?"

"To Paradise."

"…Hmm. …Paradise. That sounds like a nice place. …Mind if I come?"

He nearly jumped out of his skin in delight. "Are you kidding!? Of course you can come! You can lead the way for all I care!"

"Don't get too carried away, Hige," warned Kiba nearby.

The woman paused to smile. "Hmm… So, where is this so-called Paradise."

Hige pointed in the direction he was going; "To the North, somewhere where the snow never melts… You seriously wanna come?"

"I have nowhere else to go," she confessed. "Besides… you look like you could use a bodyguard." Hige tried to ignore the giggles coming from his friends nearby.

"Well, what're we waiting for? Let's go then!" cheered the tall teen in the sweats.

Just as he turned away from her, the young woman suddenly said, "Blue."

He glanced back at her curiously; "Huh?"

"You asked me my name before. …It's Blue."

He then smiled and nodded, "Welcome aboard, Blue."

As the group of now four wolves ran toward the horizon, their spirits were now that much higher. Before, they were just a trio of nomads with only a slight idea of where to go. Now, they felt like a full pack with a sense of direction. To Bear Valley, where the snow never melts, they took off.

TBC

Next, **"Abandoned"**


	5. Abandoned

_How? …How could it have come to this?_

_Kiba's golden eyes slowly opened to a bloody war zone, made up of nothing more than ice, snow, and death. The sky was pitch black, save for the full moon that appeared to be as red as blood. All around Kiba were the bodies of fallen wolves, each slaughtered just before he himself had fallen in defeat. His eyes glanced around to gaze at each of the bodies: Toboe, Hige, Blue, even Tsume. All dead, all lying in a pool of their own blood. His eyes then looked upward, at the pitch-black wolf that looked down on all of them, his blue right eye and his yellow left eye both shimmering with pride and malice. He had won! He had beaten them all, one by one. One wolf, against a whole pack!_

"…How?"_ was all Kiba's weakening mind could muster._

_He looked again to the black wolf, whose blue eye looked eerily human. He stood atop a small patch of ice as if it were a pedestal. Blood of other wolves was still dribbling from his teeth, which he then licked clean. Then he smiled… he actually smiled, like a man! Kiba could hear the enemy's inner voice beginning to cackle with sinister laughter. He knew he had won, even as his greatest foe- Kiba- was still hanging on to life._

_Then the eerie wolf crept toward the white wolf, who was now only half-white while the other half was covered in blood and scars. Kiba struggled to move, but for some reason he couldn't. There was yet some strength in him, but for some reason his legs were frozen. As the black wolf stood over him in silent gloating, all Kiba could do was let out a small but furious growl._

"They all died for you,"_ thought the strange black beast. _"I find that very sad."

"You killed them,"_ snarled Kiba's inner voice. _"Why??"

"It's all _your _fault,"_ replied the strange one's thoughts. _"It's because you're the Chosen One."

"I… I don't understand."

"Fool. It's just as the legend says: Only One can open the gates to Paradise. Don't you see? To be the Chosen One is to be alone."

Kiba then made an effort to rise to his feet, but just as his knees pulled up, they buckled and he fell again. He wanted so badly to rip into this monster's throat, to avenge his friends, his pack. But as his heartache grew stronger, his legs grew weaker. It was as if this beast before him was somehow sapping the life out of him.

"Go ahead,"_ grinned the evil wolf with the different colored eyes. _"Try to open the gatesif you dare… but if they come with you, I'll kill them all."

"No."

"I'll kill the smallest one first."

…

"No!!" howled Kiba as he rose from his nightmare. In his human form, cold sweat appeared on the back of his neck. There was no telling how long he had been dreaming, but it was definitely morning now. As he paused to catch his breath, he observed his surroundings: a clear sky, an oak tree just to his back, an open field straight ahead. He now knew where he was; it was the real world, and all seemed well. But even then, in his state of shock, he wasn't sure if things really were well. But then, he heard a voice that would relieve him of his worry.

"Hey, Kiba!" It was Toboe, who seemed to have been keeping watch over the white wolf while he slept. The young boy giggled, "Did you sleep well? You looked like you were having a dream."

"How could you tell?" gulped Kiba, still shaking off his fear.

"Your legs were kicking," replied Toboe, shaking his arms to mimic Kiba's frantic paws just minutes earlier. "Is it true that when we dream like that, we're chasing something?"

"Uh…" Kiba scratched his head to relieve a sudden itch.

"Nevermind," shook Toboe's head. "You looked like you were having a good one, so I didn't want to wake you."

"Heh," was all Kiba could say. In the back of his mind, Kiba was wishing that the pup really did wake him sooner, if only to escape that monstrous black wolf. He still couldn't shake off the threatening beast's image… it felt so real…

"**Wolf's Storm"**

**Based on "Wolf's Rain," created by BONES**

**Written by Snodin**

**Grope 5. "Abandoned"**

What was once a pack of three was now a pack of four. The newest member, Blue, followed behind as her new friends took the lead across the wilderness. For three days straight they ran, through fields and over tall hills, past villages and across rivers and streams. All of this effort was to reach a massive polar ice-capped mountain, which seemed to get closer with every mile they crossed. Surely it was this mountain that the Flower Maiden was calling them to; no other land that featured snow was as possible to get to as this. And by the look of the rolling hills in the distance, which climbed higher and higher, there was enough evidence that they were headed for a valley. If Kiba's leadership was right, then there was no doubt that this would the Bear Valley they were hoping to find.

After hours of running, Kiba had time to clear his mind and shake off his troubles. He was as confident as his friends as they galloped across the last open field before heading into a dense temperate forest.

They wouldn't be the first wolves to make it there, however.

… …

Deep within the forest, a herd of deer was relaxing by a pool of water. They only consisted of two young bucks, while the other five were does. All seemed peaceful, except they were being watched.

Tsume took his position atop a cliff where he had a perfect view of the deer herd. Without making a sound, he made a head gesture to his Beta, Three Toes. Together with Fenris and Lobo, Three Toes swiftly darted into a tall brush and waited to ambush their targets. Nearby, across the pool, Jean-Baptiste waited with Asena. They would cut off the deer's trail if they dared to cross the water. The trap seemed to be set; all that was needed now was for Tsume, the Alpha, to make his move.

The silvery grey Timber wolf charged down the cliff, purposely alarming the deer. Instinctively, they flocked in the opposite direction of the galloping wolf. At that moment, the lesser wolves all came out of their hiding places, cutting off the deer's original plan of escape. The deer were corralled into a straight line, heading into the woods where the chase would continue on.

Tsume was a clever leader; he knew deer behavior like the back of his paw. With the majority of his followers by his side, they gave the deer the impression that they were a small pack, one that could be outrun. But he had a surprise for them! Waiting patiently behind a giant fallen tree were Hati and Skoll, Fenris' young sisters. As the deer approached their area, the two golden-furred wolves leapt over the hurdle. This caused the panicked herd to split up, most going left while three went right. It was the three that the wolves now had their sights on.

Last to make an appearance was Rahshka, Asena's younger sister. In wolf form, her fur was double-toned, black on top and light tan on the bottom, perfectly paralleled in the center. She came like a bullet through the trees, almost like a ghost in the eyes of her prey. Again, the deer split into two teams, with one lone deer now running for its life alone. Now, the hunt had become nothing less than a marathon, the wolves constantly on the lone deer's back, forcing her to keep running without a pause for breath.

In minutes, the wolves were closing on her from both sides. She had no time to make sharp turns now, it was just a straight line toward her death. Her heart soon gave out, and the doe collapsed. Instantly, the wolves were on top of her, holding her legs in their sharp fangs. It was Tsume who would have the honor and glory to take this deer's life by sinking his merciless fangs into her throat, strangling her.

Such a spectacular hunt was rarely seen anymore; these wolves were one of the lucky ones to get the chance to hunt freely, with hardly any interference from humans or any other creatures. They savored this meal.

…

Time slowed down as the wolf pack ate; by mid-day, their prey was nothing more than a pile of bones. Tsume laid on his back and basked in the sun, his belly full. By his side sat Asena, whose appetite was also satisfied by now. She leaned in toward her leader and smiled, "This is the life isn't it, Tsume?"

The white-blonde smiled lazily, "That's the best meal we've had since we left the city. I swear, if we weren't on a quest I'd consider living out here."

"Yeah, there's that quest," sighed the purple-haired woman. "Have you heard the Maiden's voice lately?"

"Sometimes, in my dreams."

"Do you know what she looks like?"

At first, Tsume looked at his would-be mate suspiciously. "You're not jealous, are you?"

Asena chuckled, "No. I'm just curious."

"Well… All I know is that she looks young- like a teenager. I've gotten a glimpse of her face once, but I've almost forgotten it completely. I remember her eyes though… They're bright red."

"Red?"

"Yeah… Like rose red… And her hair's lavender."

"Like another flower," grinned Asena. "…She sounds beautiful."

"She's just a guide, Asena. A spirit guide, at that. I don't think she could take a physical form; and even if she did… She's probably not my type anyway."

Asena chuckled again, this time stroking her leader's crue-cut hair as she did so. Then out of nowhere, she said, "Your parents would be so proud of you."

Just the mention of his parents sent Tsume's heart racing. He grimaced as he sat up, looking as if he was suddenly overcome with a bellyache. Asena noticed this and dropped her smile. "I'm sorry, Tsume. I… I know it's hard to think about them."

"It's alright," he murmured, slowly rising to his feet. He then stared blankly at his followers, who were fighting over the remaining strands of meat from the deer bones. "We'll rest here 'till nightfall. We can't afford to get lazy and let all those posers catch up with us."

Asena paused for a moment before nodding, "I understand. …Tsume?"

"Hm?"

"It's okay to enjoy life, you know. We can't be too serious all the time." The Alpha female's charming tone of voice and warm smile made Tsume smile back. She was right, of course. Life wasn't just about finding Paradise; it had its perks too. Still, he thought to himself, there was plenty of reason why he needed to get to Paradise first. The truth was that he wasn't really sure if he was the Chosen One or not. But he couldn't let a small worry like that stop him. He had to prove himself… his parents' legacy depended on it.

Meanwhile, young Hati and Skoll were wrestling over a deer bone; one of them took off into the woods with it while the other pursued. Since they were so alike in wolf and human forms, no one could tell which was which. And since they were on the bottom of the pack's ranking order, no one seemed to care about their playful wiles. This would turn out to be their downfall.

The girls romped and chased into an area of the forest where their brethren wouldn't be able to see them. This of course could have been avoided, if they weren't so boisterous. The pale-furred she-wolves continued their wrestling match under the shade of trees, when a sudden crackle of snapping twigs caught their attention. Thinking it to be one of their elders approaching, one of the females stepped into the light to investigate. To her shock and utter horror, she was met with drooling fangs- those of a werewolf.

The other female wolf heard her sister's yelp, but when she charged out of her shady hiding place, she found herself all alone. Her sister was already being chased by a large, dark adversary.

It was Skoll who was being chased; in her fear, she didn't even bother to look back as she fled across the terrain in panic. The dark-furred werewolf that donned a torn red cape sped after her with great speed, almost matching the true wolf's. Just as her pack had chased down the unfortunate doe, the tables were now turned on poor Skoll. Farther and farther from her pack she fled, across a small bank and jumping over bushes and tree logs. But the werewolf was unlike anything she had come across before, and it caught up to her within minutes. The she-wolf was caught by her back leg, dragged to the ground, and was savagely devoured.

… …

That night, as Tsume's pack mourned their sudden loss by howling, another pack was gathering at the edge of the forest. The Alpha, who stood taller than any of his followers, stood on his back legs in an almost human fashion. The lower ranks, all red-caped like him, crouched down on their four limbs as if displaying their humility before him. They were all growling intensely, knowing that a trial was about to take place. Alpha stood his ground silently, while two of his lesser werewolves dragged a still blood-mouthed were toward him by their teeth. They threw him to the ground, and while looking up at his lord and master, hi ears pulled back in cowardice.

"The wolf's blood," purred the Alpha werewolf. "Where is it, Twelve?"

Number Twelve, the same one who killed Skoll that afternoon, gulped and licked his lips clean. "I… I had the wolf, sir. She was… a young one."

"Yes, I know. I asked where her blood is; you were ordered to bring it to us in tact."

He gulped again, louder this time. "S-she… I… I couldn't help myself, sir. She was… so delicious, and I was so hungry…"

"You're saying you ate her completely?" Alpha's tone of voice intensified into a low growl.

Number Twelve curled his body into a fetal position. "Please, sir. There are more of them, lots more! Please, I beg you, give me another chance!"

"I cannot trust you anymore, Number Twelve. You have disobeyed me, and lost your way. …Three!"

A blue-furred wolf with his back hunched over stepped forward. He glanced down at Twelve with his teeth bared and his yellow eyes sparkling.

"…No!" pleaded Twelve. "No, please! NO!" Twelve's pleas would go unanswered, as Number Three's fangs ripped into his neck. Immediately, a majority of the other werewolves joined in his feast. Such was the punishment for disobeying their Alpha.

With fur as black as night, with only a small highlight of blue on what would have been his hair, Alpha turned and walked away with a grimace of disappointment. With him walked Beta, his most trusted companion. Like Three, his back was hunched over in alpha's presence, and his fur was almost as bright red as the cape worn around his broad shoulder line. Aside from his bright yellow fur, the only thing that made him stand out was the pair of armless blue sunglasses that sat vicariously on his snout.

"This is quite disturbing," said the Beta with a rumbling voice. "If our brethren cannot control their urge to eat, how can we achieve in collecting more wolf DNA?"

"I was wrong to trust them," frowned Alpha. "We need someone with much more control over his animal side… Wait, of course. Where is Number Twenty-Eight?"

"Missing, I'm afraid sir. He was last seen in Moors city, talking to a human girl."

"Find him, Beta. He's the only one with enough will power to keep from feeding."

Beta gave a bow, "I will do as you say, my Alpha." As the red wolf slumped away, the Alpha turned his head toward the sky, toward a moon that was waning to a slither. Alone, he looked almost gentile; yet underneath the fur, his hunger raged like a hurricane.

… …

After her brush with death three days earlier, Cher Degre was now a prime witness in what was now being called The Werewolf Murders. Now two cities have been attacked, first Stormhill and now Moors. All they had to make a case were three dead bodies of wolf-like mutants and a rising toll of victims. But while the mutant bodies proved to be useful to scientists on certain levels, many questions remained unanswered: Who were these monsters? _What_ were they? And most importantly, where were they headed? Only Cher seemed to have at least one answer to those riddles.

While detained in a police station in Moors, Cher's patience was waning thin, much like the moon itself. After being questioned by the chief of police for hours, she crossed her arms in frustration. "I've told you everything I know, Chief. These men were experimenting in gene-splicing, and now they've become bloodthirsty marauders."

The Chief was not satisfied with the biologist's statement. "Can you confirm who they are, Doctor? I mean, who they used to be before they were transformed?"

"My team managed to get some fingerprints, yes. They were all residents of my home town, Stormhill. And they were all linked to the infamous Red Moon cult."

"What kind of cult are we talking about here?"

"They were thought to be some kind of naturalists-turned eco-terrorists. There may be some truth to that, what with the brutal slayings they've done so far. But not even I know what they're really after; their behavior seems to be completely unpredictable."

"And you've actually talked to one of them?"

She nodded, "Yes. That was before he transformed… Actually, I can tell you his name: Detective Hubb Lebowski."

"Lebowski!?" exclaimed the stunned chief. "I thought he was dead! That's what the Stormhill cops told me."

"He was forced to join the cult," frowned Cher. "When I was talking to him, he begged me to stay away. I think he was trying to warn me…"

The chief took a minute to regain his cool; then he asked calmly, "Do you know where he is?"

"No," Cher shook her head. "But I have reason to believe that he can help us track down this cult. If I can find him and bring him to you, I'm sure he'll tell us everything."

"You do realize, Doctor, that if we do get him here he'll be charged with murder- or at least conspiracy to murder, or aiding and abetting. Whichever comes first."

The blonde narrowed her eyes at him sternly; clearly, she was not keen on condemning a man whom she believed in her heart was a good person. "…I guess we'll have to play it by ear then. In the meantime, I have at least one lead that may be helpful."

"Go on," replied the patient chief.

Cher then reached into her coat and pulled out her radio detection device, the same one she was using on that fateful day she came into the city. "I've been tracking a runaway wolf- a real one, not a mutant. He's been on the run for some time now, and I'm not sure why. But I've noticed that whenever I get close to him, the so-called 'werewolves' seem to pop up. I may be wrong, but there may be a connection here. If you'll let me, Chief, I'll try to track down my wolf. And if I'm right, he'll lead us straight to our suspects."

The chief leaned back in his comfortable chair by his desk. His thumbs twiddled as his hands balled together as he began to think deeply. "Tracking down a wolf and a renegade detective seems like a dangerous job for one young lady. I can provide protection for you; a SWAT team, perhaps."

"You really don't have to," Cher cracked a grateful smile.

"I insist, Doctor. This is probably the strangest and most severe case of fugitive killers we've ever faced. The more people we have to track them down, the better. And of course, I'd hate to have your death on my conscience."

Cher smiled again, almost blushing at the thought of an army of men guarding her like royalty. "Thanks again, Chief. I do appreciate the help… Just one thing though- a favor I need to ask of you."

"Shoot."

"If we do find Detective Lebowski, I'd like to interview him myself. And I'd also like to drop all charges against him."

"You're serious?"

"As far as I'm concerned, Chief, he saved my life that day. I owe him that much."

The chief seemed reluctant, but soon saw the light as he sighed softly. "Alright, Doctor. You'll get your interview as soon as the monst—as soon as the detective decides to show himself again."

Cher seemed satisfied with his reply, as she showed no signs of protest.

… …

_"I'll kill the smallest one first."_

Those words haunted Kiba all day, as he and his friends wandered aimlessly through a wooded area- perhaps the same area that Tsume's pack was in. The more he thought of the wolf from his nightmares, the more suspicious of its meaning Kiba became. Soon, his tension started to show in his face, and the smallest one- Toboe- was the first to notice it.

"Kiba? …What's wrong? You look mad about something."

The feathery-haired young man turned to the rusty-haired boy beside him, and forced a smile. "It's nothing, Toboe. I'm just trying to find the flower's scent."

"Is it hard? Maybe I can help. Just point my nose in the right direction."

Hige then walked up to them with his usual goofy smile. "There's plants everywhere, kid. Try finding a hot dog in the middle of a schmorgasborg."

"What's a shmorgazborg?" blinked Toboe.

"What's a hot dog?" blinked Kiba almost at the same time.

"Man!" frowned Hige. "You guys are really outta touch… Here, lemmie try it." The sweats-clad teen then perked up his bloodhound-like nose and took a few long whiffs. "…Hmm… I smell honeydew, jasmine, mint… Hold on, there's something else… Smells like… yeah… Yeah, there's no doubt!"

"What is it?" asked Kiba, almost impatiently.

"Chicken!" grinned Hige hungrily.

"…Chicken?" echoed the two other males, doubting Hige's smell.

"Yeah! Chicken! Lots of 'em, that way!" Driven by his sudden surge of hunger, Hige took off after the scent. His friends stood where they were, dumbfounded by his behavior.

"We shoulda left him back with his cousins," frowned Toboe.

Then Blue came walking by with a smug smile on her face. "His nose is right; there's a village nearby." She then followed after Hige, though not as quickly as he had been running.

Kiba and Toboe exchanged faces before shrugging and following their friends. Perhaps Hige's nose was more trustworthy than it appeared to be.

… …

Sure enough, Kiba's pack had followed Hige's instincts straight to the sight of a small village sitting at the bottom of a series of cliffs, forming a miniature valley. Though this was definitely not the valley they were hoping to find, the wolves were impressed by this nicely hidden town, made of apartments that seemed to be chiseled out from the stones that formed the cliffs. This was unlike the sophisticated, modern-day cities they had crossed before; it looked more like a farm settlement, peaceful and quiet.

"Maybe we can get some food here!" hoped Hige excitedly. "Or at least a place to sleep."

"Easy, big boy," coaxed Blue. "They probably don't take kindly to wolves here."

"So we'll walk around like humans. Come on, you guys!" Hige slid down the slope he and his friends stood atop of before the others could argue with him any further. They then followed his lead with much less enthusiasm.

Within the tiny village, people were dressed in cloaks that were finely knitted from the fleece of alpaca or llamas, and hats made of straw. They were dark in complexion and their matching hair was a glossy black- possibly Hispanic, or Native American. Or a mix of both. Whatever their race was officially, they seemed to be a tight-knit community, greeting each other by name as they passed by. And they were undoubtedly friendly, as they even greeted the strange new faces of Kiba and the other wolves in disguise.

While walking down a dusty street, the wolves observed the humans. "Look at that," whispered Blue to Kiba. "They're exchanging small lime stones like money. They must now stray far from this place."

"Yeah," he whispered back with as much curiosity as her. "I wonder how they ever got here."

"This could be a Paradise, right Kiba?" Toboe whispered suddenly. The pup gave a smile of awe and wonder, as if his thoughts were foreseeing a future in which wolves and humans lived side by side.

"I guess it could be, Toboe. …But it's not _our _Paradise," replied the leader of the pack. It was obvious that Kiba didn't see things as Toboe liked to.

"You don't think they'd like us if we showed them… you know… what we really are?"

"Just keep those thoughts to yourself, okay? We don't know these people, and we can't trust them."

"Ee-ee-ee-ee!" squealed Hige nearby; he stopped in front of a chicken coop that was fenced just outside a small hut. He stared greedily at the unsuspecting chickens; "Somebody get me a defribulator; I think I've died and gone to Heaven!"

"Hige, don't!" barked Blue sharply. "We just got here, and you're gonna get us in trouble."

"Look at 'em," pointed the chubby teen. "One, two, five… seven… thirteen? There's too many to count, you'd think they'd miss one? …Just one!?"

The she-wolf in the black overcoat then smacked him upside his head. "Stop it," she growled softly.

A mother and son were passing by, when the small child's big brown eyes fell on the strangers. He then pointed directly at the pack with a delighted smile. "Look, Mommy! Doggies!"

Upon hearing the boy's words, the pack gasped and tensed up. They were still in their human disguises, so for any human to see their true forms was beyond their expectations. Yet, it appeared that a few humans were gifted with clairvoyance- a sixth sense, which was immune to any telepathic trickery.

The boy's mother looked around and replied, "No dear, there aren't any dogs here."

But her son's excitement caused him to slip his hand out of his mother's grip, and immediately he charged toward the wolves. Toboe was the closest to him, and the pup cringed as the boy closed in on him. At the moment the five-year-old wrapped his arms around Toboe's "legs," his concentration shattered along with his illusion. He was now a rusty-red wolf with a small child's arms wrapped around his scruffy neck.

"Toboe," gasped Kiba in horror; the others dropped their jaws in mutual surprise.

"Kai!" called out the alarmed mother, seeing that a dog had suddenly appeared in the picture. She fearfully ran to her son and grabbed his arm, trying to pry him from the animal. "Get away from that dog, you don't know if it's safe!"

"Doggie," murmured the boy joyfully; his calm nature was a relief to Toboe. The wolf pup drooped his ears and softened his eyes; he was safe… for now.

Kiba was quick to step forward and say, "He's with us, ma'am. He wouldn't hurt him, I swear."

"He's your dog then?" asked the worried woman.

Not wanting to directly lie to her, Kiba only smiled with, "His name's Toboe."

"Toby!" giggled the boy, now stroking the Red wolf's neck. Toboe moaned softly upon hearing his name said incorrectly.

"We were just passing by," explained Kiba. "All we need is some food, and maybe a place to sleep. Then we'll be on our way."

"Of course," nodded the woman. "We don't get many visitors, but you're welcome to stay for as long as you like. I'm sure Tia can provide the shelter."

"Tia?"

"Oh, she's a very popular girl around here; she practices herbal medicine just like her mother. She owns a large barn nearby, full of rare and wild plants."

"Sounds like a nice girl to me," smiled Hige. "We'll be sure to give her a buzz."

Meanwhile, Toboe continued to let the small child stroke his head and muzzle. But then the boy looked up at Kiba and asked, "Canna keep him?"

"Uh… no," smiled Kiba. "But you can walk with us."

Young Kai giggled, "Toby!" _"Toboe,"_ murmured the pup mentally. The boy picked it up, but echoed instead, "Toby-yay!" _"Ugh."_

…

"Hello! Welcome to Clay Town. I'm Tia, the medicine woman."

Tia was an admired young woman, owning a large barn just as had been described. Her raven-black hair was pulled back into a braided tail with a feminine bow on the end. She also donned a shawl with an intricate eagle pattern that stretched to the back, over her long black dress. She greeted the strangers by her limestone-chiseled house before introducing them to her enviable barn.

Inside, the open rooftop allowed sunlight to pour down over her collection of potted trees and plants. "These are our town's most precious plants," she explained as she gave the wolves a grand tour. "I use them to mix into medicines for the village, which is how I make a living really. I'm also trying to produce saplings to sell to other towns to try to boost our economy."

"I've noticed the villagers using lime stones as currency," Kiba said.

"Yes," nodded the young lady, "lime stone is a precious material here. We use it to eventually mold new houses and other things we may need. Our elders are considering changing from lime stomes to money, the same money used by the big cities, you know? I'm actually hoping it works out, because I could use that money to buy more plants I'll need for my medicines."

Kiba stopped in front of a potted sapling that was nothing more than sprouted leaves and a sealed bulb in the center. "Is this… a lunar flower?" he peeped.

Tia joined his side and confirmed, "Yes, I believe it is. They're extremely rare; this one was brought to our village by a kind stranger just two years ago."

"How long does it take for them to bloom?" asked Blue nearby.

"No one really knows," replied Tia. "I've been keeping it under the moonlight for as long as I could, but I guess only it knows when the time will come for it to bloom."

Kiba turned to his friends, who seemed intrigued by this sapling. They knew in their hearts that this was not the same flower that they were headed towards; no female voice was coming from it. Only the lunar flowers in full bloom had such a powerful effect on the wolves.

All the while, Toboe was stuck in his wolf form thanks to being ousted by Kai- not that he minded, but now he couldn't voice his own opinions without giving himself away. It was starting to frustrate him, especially now that he was in the presence of such an admirable, and- dare he think it- beautiful young lady. He whined.

"Aw," frowned Tia in reaction. "Your dog sounds hungry."

"Starved," blurted out Hige, before he was elbowed by Blue.

"I'm so sorry," Tia quickly apologized. "I should have prepared the food by now."

"There's no rush, really," Blue replied, giving Hige a harsh glare.

Tia insisted, "Oh, it's no trouble at all! Getting to meet new people is one of my life-long dreams! I'm hoping that once word gets out about this village, I'll be able to sell my medicines to help the poor here."

"You're too kind," smiled Blue. She felt reassured in knowing that there was at least one human in the world that she could trust. Even if this human wouldn't stay with them.

All Hige could think of at that point was a huge plate flooded with slabs of red meat, chicken wings, turkey legs, and a whole bunch of other carnivore goodies…

…

…What he got instead was a plate full of green peas, asparagus twigs, broccoli stalks and corn kernels.

"Awwww, ma-a-a-a-n," he whimpered at the dinner table. "What is this??"

Tia, who sat at the front of the table, gave him a humble smile. "Sorry Hige, but we here at Clay Town are against killing and eating animal meat. But I've made these vegetables myself, and they're quite good."

The chubby teen glanced over at the two wolves opposite of him. Kiba glared back with, "You can stomach this for one night, Hige. It's not going to kill you."

"No… just make me sick is all," Hige groaned softly. Then he glanced over to Toboe, who stood at the end of the room chowing down on a bowl full of red meat. The wolf pup glanced up at him and seemed to be gloating in silence. Hige sneered at him jealously, wishing that young Kai threw his arms around _him_ instead.

… …

Following three-day-old wolf tracks proved to be harder than Cher and her gang of SWAT officers had anticipated. But that was mainly because they had stuck to the roads of man instead of the uncharted fields. Cher's tracking device had been their saving grace, still blinking in response to Hige's radio collar. The trip across the state was silent for the most part, and without much breakthrough clues. But all of that changed when they had reached the forest that would flood into Bear Valley.

When the van carrying the adventurers came to a dead-end road, the team took to their feet and wandered into the shady woods. Cher had to lead the way, trusting her device to no one else. The glowing light on the tracker was getting closer to its center, which made Cher stop in her own tracks.

"They're here alright," she confirmed. "We should probably hold a perimeter and split into teams."

"Right," said the commanding officer. "You'll stay with me and five troops, the other ten will scout up ahead." He then turned to his heavily-armed officers with their rifles ready. "Alright, men! We'll make camp here for now, but stay on high alert. Those mutants could be hiding anywhere. Spread out and keep your phones on. Move."

Just as they had planned, the SWAT team moved out like ants on the march toward an enemy nest, always at the ready to aim and fire with their fully loaded guns. Cher stayed close to the tent as it was being set up, but couldn't help but inch her way closer and closer to the forbidding path ahead. Somewhere in that unsafe forest, her special wolf was hiding, perhaps being hunted by those monsters.

Before long, a voice cried out in the distance: "Sir! I think we've found something!"

Cher and the commander ran to the voice, which was that of a lower ranked officer. He stood in front of a horrible sight: the remains of a shredded wolf's body, which was now nothing more than scattered bones and fur. Cher nearly screamed at the sight of the carnage, but was quick to recover. She knew instantly that it was a wolf's remains.

"You think _they_ did it?" the commander asked Cher.

Cher glared at the large lupine tracks that surrounded the mess of bones and fur. "Those are their tracks alright. This couldn't have happened any later than yesterday."

"They're close then," nodded the commander.

As the two men started to talk, the woman continued to search the area for more clues. Her eyes soon caught the sight of a glimmer in the darkness of the woods, a glimmer that may have come from an animals' eyes. Curious, she followed after it, not thinking to alert the officers. Soon, she was on her own.

Following her instincts, Cher bravely treaded through scattered branches and hidden rocks, pushing back any foliage that blocked her way. Her gut feeling was right on the money; someone was there, hiding under the cover of darkness, trying to stay hidden but was as clumsy on the fallen tree branches as Cher was.

"Who's there?" she softly but sternly called out, standing her ground. When she had no answer, she boldly pulled out a pistol, which the police had given her in case she needed it. "I'm warning you," she aimed forward; "come out, or I'll use this."

A bare human foot stepped forward, startling her for a moment. She nearly shot the man that came toward her, but was stopped by his familiar voice: "Please… I really wish you would."

"Detective," Cher nearly whispered, lowering her gun.

Hubb came forward with hardly any shirt left on, his pants caked with dirt and grass. He seemed to look even thinner now, lethargic. His eyes, still tired from lack of sleep, never looked so sad. "You came here for us, didn't you?"

"Are they here? The other… mutants?"

"Go ahead, you can say it… Werewolves."

Cher felt a shiver down her spine as the young man said that word, the one she refused to say out loud anywhere. "…I can help you. My team back home is trying to decode the DNA of the mutants we found in Moors. There's still time to cure you."

"It's no good," moaned Lebowski weakly, as he leaned onto a tree for support. "…The werewolves want even more wolf DNA, to 'perfect' the transformation."

"I don't understand."

"The first concoction was only a strain of wolf DNA; it changed us, but not in the way they wanted it to. It's only a temporary change, and each time we do, we crave more and more food. It's getting so bad now… they've eaten one of their own last night."

"How terrible," frowned Cher gravely. "…Is that why they're tracking Hige?"

"…Who?"

"Nevermind. Come back to camp with me; they'll want to know everything."

"They'll shoot me on sight," murmured the weakened Lebowski, turning his head toward the ground as if hanging his head in shame.

"No, they've told me they wouldn't. They can't charge you with a crime you didn't commit."

"It doesn't really matter. I think I'd rather die anyway."

"Don't talk like that!" demanded Cher as she stepped closer without a care for her own safety.

"Stay back," growled Lebowski, leaning back as if afraid of his own thirst for blood.

Cher nearly cracked a smile as she replied, "You didn't kill me back in Moors, why would you kill me now?"

"I can still kill you… I can't control it that well."

"Please, Detective, come back with me. I want to help you." She reached out her hand to him, which in truth was like reaching out to a lion with its mouth gaped open. Her trust in him was moving.

"…Hubb. My name is Hubb."

"Hubb," she nodded. "Please come with me."

"Hey… you've made a friend!" hummed an eerily inhuman voice nearby.

Hubb turned around and saw that another human with torn clothes came forward. Unlike Hubb, this man donned a red hooded cape and was fairly more muscular, with blue armless sunglasses on his long pointy nose. His posture was slightly hunched over, as it would have been in his werewolf form. Through his matted yellow hair and wild beard, he grinned hungrily at Cher.

"Beta," frowned Hubb in terror.

Seeing that this was a suspect standing before her, Cher instinctively drew her gun again. "You stay back, or I'll shoot!"

"You'll do no such thing, girly," hissed the Beta. "Not unless you want to alert the rest of my pack."

Hubb then threw himself in front of Cher in an attempt to block her from the Beta. "You leave her alone, she's not our enemy."

"We have a rule, Number Twenty-Eight: you either join us, or be eaten by us."

"You can take your rules and go to-"

"Wait!" Cher spoke up suddenly. "…Did you say join?"

"Of course," smiled the Beta with rotten teeth. "We'll welcome anyone who will embrace the prophesy of Paradise. …Of course, you would have to forego your human ways- a small price for the ultimate reward."

Hubb turned back to his human friend and whispered, "You're not serious, are you?"

"Just let me handle this," she whispered back.

"Well?" asked the bespectacled Beta. "Are you considering my offer, or would you prefer to be a snack for the almighty Alpha?"

"I have a proposition for you," replied the bold woman. "I'll consider your offer, if you'll take me to your Alpha directly."

"Hmmm," hummed the intrigued long-haired man. "…You have friends nearby. I can smell them. Wouldn't they miss you if you were to suddenly disappear?"

"They're just following human orders…"

"And you?"

"I only follow what my heart tells me."

The Beta paused, still intrigued by the woman's sudden change in attitude. Perhaps she was just trying to save herself. Even if that were true, a new recruit wouldn't hurt. After all, the pack's numbers had suddenly dwindled.

"Alright," he finally said. "You'll come with me right now, and leave your gun."

"No," growled Hubb. "Don't do this to her!"

"Stay out of this, Twenty-Eight. Now then, you girly will come with no guns and no radio contact. Understood?"

"Completely," replied Cher as she dropped her gun and her portable phone, along with even her tracking device.

"What are you doing?" begged Hubb.

"Shh," she silenced him. Her calm poise rattled him, but he was now starting to suspect that she was hatching a plan. …Either that, or she had officially lost her mind.

"We'll go now," directed Beta, turning around to walk straight away from the hunters at large. Cher calmly followed behind him, but kept a distance from him just in case he would turn on her. Hubb followed close behind her, still unsure of her decision in meeting with the Alpha. Cher's tracks and fallen devices wouldn't be found by the SWAT team for hours on end.

… …

Later that night, Tia entered her greenery to water some of her plants, particularly those that were dependant on moonlight. On her trip to the lunar sapling, she not only quenched its thirst but also started to whisper to it.

"You are going to bloom for me someday, aren't you?" No response. "I could sure use your help, little one. I've heard legends about your incredible healing powers; some say that just a touch from your petals will revive a person's strength." Still no response. Tia sighed, "I guess this town just doesn't have enough nutrients for you, does it? …I suppose I could leave town for a little while and replant you in the forest, right by the river. …You would like that, wouldn't you little one?" In her mind, the sapling was smiling. "Alright then, just give me a minute and I'll take you there."

Tia spent the next minute or two tending to her other flowers, but as she turned around, she was startled by the presence of a young man by the opened doorway. "Who's there?" she gasped.

The boy with the rusty-red hair straightened himself after leaning gently on the doorway. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. My name's Toboe- I'm with Kiba and the others."

"Toboe?" blinked the young lady, understanding the meaning behind such an unusual name. "…I'm sorry, I didn't know there were others. I'm afraid you've missed dinner."

"Oh, heh! Don't worry, I had enough to eat," he blushed, holding his tummy which was digesting the chicken he was given as a wolf.

"So, what brings you here?"

"I heard so much about you and your flowers, I just had to see it for myself," he replied as he walked across the hall of plants. He stopped by the lunar flower and bent down to glare at it curiously. "So, this is the lunar flower sapling."

"Yes," nodded Tia with a smile. "I was just about to take it out of the town for a little while. I think she needs more time in the wild."

"How do you know it's a she?" blinked the boy.

Tia shrugged, "Oh, I'm just guessing. I've heard that when in full bloom, lunar flowers look something like daisies, and I always thought daisies were a bit feminine."

Toboe giggled, "H'yeah. …So, is it true? Do they have healing powers?"

"There are lots of legends about lunar flowers. Healing is just one of them; others say that when the world is reborn, they'll be the first to bloom."

Toboe then dropped his smile. "When the world is reborn… Does that mean it's dying?"

"Well, no one really knows. These are just legends we're talking about, so there's really no need to worry."

"Wow… you're so, like… knowledgeable!" Toboe smiled in admiration. "Aw," giggled Tia, "you're too kind."

"It's been a while since I've been around such a nice human… Person! I mean person!" He clasped his hands shut, but it was too late; Tia heard what he said. All at once, Toboe thought that the jig was up. No real human would ever talk like that… but perhaps he could sway this girl into trusting him still. "So… do you like wolves?"

"Wolves?" peeped Tia curiously. "…I suppose so. But then, we've never seen one out here. We've had almost no predatory animals ever since my ancestors settled in this place. It's part of the reason why we have a strict veggie diet, but that's a long story."

"Oh… Well, if you ever met one… a real one… you wouldn't be afraid, would you?"

"Of a wolf?" Tia had to pause to think it over; having never really seen a wolf before, yet hearing plenty of legends of them- both the positive and negative kind- she had to consider her answer. "Well… I suppose if one were hungry, I'd feed it."

"But you wouldn't be afraid…?"

Her suspicions were starting to rise. "Why would I be? Are they vicious?"

"Oh, no! No, not at all. In fact, w—they… are- are looking for a place called Paradise." Again, he almost gave himself away; he was glad the others weren't here, or he'd never hear the end of it.

"Paradise… I've heard that story too."

Toboe looked saddened again, perhaps feeling threatened of becoming disillusioned. "It's not a legend… is it?"

Well, if you believe that the world is about to end, then you'd believe in Paradise too."

"I… don't understand."

Tia then looked up at the waning moon that hung over the open ceiling of her greenery/barn. Her eyes almost glazed, as if she was spellbound, as she began her speech. "The oldest legend ever told is the one about Paradise. It was there when the world was first created, and it soon disappeared when beast began to prey on beast. Life was never the same after that; the earth was split into many fractions- forest, desert, mountain range, ocean, and polar wasteland. Then when man came, so did his cities, and his pollution. And his wars.

"They say that there are those who are destined to find a way to bring back Paradise, but when their time comes, the world will be so ravaged by death and destruction, that it will be on the brink of coming to an end. If those Chosen Ones are to succeed, then they will not only bring back Paradise, but they will also do their part in recreating the world."

Toboe was awed by this story-telling. He could almost imagine the details of forests and wastelands as Tia spoke about them. And his vision of Paradise was now more clearer than before: open plains, fields full of flowers, birds hanging in the air, and animals living side by side peacefully. He sighed deeply as he pictured this heavenly place. As Tia ended her story, she turned to him and saw that his mouth was gaped open in wonder. She couldn't help but giggle a bit.

"I'm sorry," Toboe blushed as he came back to reality. "I must sound like such a kid, don't I?"

"No, you're a very good listener, that's all… I have just one question, Toboe: Why were you so curious about wolves?"

"Well, a friend of mine told me that wolves will make it to Paradise."

"Ah… I'm sure they could. …Say, Toboe. Would you do me a small favor, since we're friends now?"

"Sure, Tia! Anything!"

The young lady then picked up the small pot carrying the lunar flower seedling. "I'm going to replant this sapling to see if it'll bloom in its natural habitat. Would you and your friends like to join me?"

"Absolutely," nodded Toboe excitedly. "I'll go get them right now!" With that, he nearly skipped out of the barn. Tia smiled again; there was something about that boy that made her feel safe. Only, she didn't quite know what it was.

… …

A gathering was taking place just a few miles from Clay Town was hidden. The werewolves, led by their red-caped Alpha, found their way to the bank of a waterfall. The roaring of the falling torrents would have been enough to drown out any screaming that would have taken place there. And that was exactly what they were expecting, as Beta led Cher and Hubb into the scene.

"Bring me the new follower!"

As Cher approached the Alpha, two lines of snarling and drooling mutants hunched over to savor the scent of her as she passed them by. It made her skin crawl.

But Cher was here for a reason; she took her index finger and wrapped it around a small chain around her neck. On that chain was a small rectangular charm… yet it was no ordinary charm.

_While in the van, surrounded by SWAT team officers, Cher was presented with the charmed necklace. "Take this," said the commander as he handed it to her. "If anything happens to you, we can track you down by our radio trackers."_

"_You're saying this is a transmitter?" mused Cher._

"_Well, you're the only civilian among us, Doctor. We can't afford to take any chances."_

"_I understand… Thank you," she replied as she placed the necklace around her neck._

It was a simple plan, yet an effective one. Here she was, surrounded by these creatures that may have killed dozens of innocents by now. All she had to do was keep this transmitter on her, and soon enough these bloodthirsty beasts would be surrounded by officers with guns. It was all too perfect a plan…

But then she realized she was now standing before the tallest and darkest of all werewolves, the Alpha. His eyes were yellow with no visible irises, much like his followers. And yet, it was his eyes that frightened her the most. She could almost see the real monster behind them.

"So," he grinned with razor-sharp teeth, "Beta tells me that you're willing to join our pack."

"Uh… M-my name is Doctor Cher Degre. I'm a biologist from Stormhill. …Sir."

"Stormhill," he purred. "I've almost forgotten that place. We have not looked back from where we were ever since we began this journey, and we don't intend to start now."

"Your journey to Paradise, you mean?"

"Heee," he grinned through his fangs. "You speak of it as if you have doubts of its existence."

"Forgive me… I guess it's just my human part in doubt."

"Hmm. Human nature is a trivial thing. They say they want to make the world a better place, and yet they were the ones that are defiling it with their growing cities and wasteful habits. …But that is not why I have summoned you to me."

"Sir?"

The Alpha then crouched down to stare into Cher's eyes from her level. As he moved in, she could smell meat on his breath, which almost sickened her. His black fur was highlighted into blue by the moonlight, and it looked even sleeker as it nearly caressed her skin. His big wet nose scanned her face and exhaled through its side with a blast of wind. It was as if he was trying to smell her lies.

But then the Alpha raised his head and smiled, "Ah… I sense much potential in you, woman. You say you are a biologist? In where does your particular expertise lie?"

"Wolves." That was not a lie.

"HA!" he bellowed. "I knew it! I knew you've been following us for that very reason. You want to protect wolves, don't you?"

"Yes."

"You want to ensure their survival."

"Of course."

He then crouched down to her level again, giving her an almost pleasant smile. "…How would you like to _become_ one then?"

Cher paused to glance at Hubb, who was now a skinny, pitiful-looking were. He shook his head softly, as if to protest against her inevitable response. She then looked back at the Alpha and lied, "I would be honored to become a wolf."

Then to her surprise, the Alpha's grinned reverted back into its more sinister curl. **"Heeee… Prove it."**

Suddenly, all ears perked up to the sounds of guns being loaded and readied. The werewolves were quickly ambushed by the SWAT team, skidding down the hill part of the waterfall and running toward the bank from another direction. Only the Alpa kept his poise while his followers cringed and growled in panic. Cher stood her ground, trying her best not to let out a laugh or even crack a smile; her plan was working, so far.

But the Alpha, who apparently knew they were coming, pointed his claw toward the oncoming officers and roared, "Look here, my brethren! We have young lambs leading themselves to the slaughter!"

"Shoot men! Shoot them all!" cried out the SWAT team's commander, who was in the front of the charging line.

The werewolves bared their teeth and roared in response. This was going to get ugly, and fast!

But Cher, who had kept her cool up until this point, was given the ultimate surprise: the Alpha rested his broad, clawed hand on her shoulder, and it was heavy enough so that she could barely move.

"What are you doing?" she gasped at him.

The Alpha could smell fear in her breath, but showed no pity. "I want you to witness this, child. If you are truly worthy of us, you will not shed a single tear for those damned humans."

She now realized that she was being tested. She wanted to scream for help, or at least scream for the officers that were about to be slaughtered by ravenous monsters. But if she did that, it would have been the death of her. Unsure of what to do, she looked back to Hubb, who stood as close to her as he could without angering the Alpha. All he could do was look at her with those sad, iris-less yellow eyes, shaking his head, as if to say "Don't do it." He wanted her to live.

Cher gulped and gave him a small nod. Then she turned to face the onslaught. Guns fired, many hitting the shoulders or limbs of the werewolves, but they just kept going. The men began to panic as the monsters sowed just how fast an agile they were. Soon, flesh met with teeth, blood poured, screams rang out only to be silenced within moments later. It was all too much for Cher, but she forced herself to remain still and silent.

As if trying to comfort her, the Alpha whispered in her ear, "It's a hard thing to be a wolf, child. To have to kill in order to live… But fret not; all of this will soon be a thing of the past. Soon we will be in Paradise, and we will never have to kill again."

It seemed as though he had accepted her as a new member of the pack. But deep down, Cher was drowning in guilt for the men. She couldn't help but think that this was all her fault, that she led these men to their deaths. …Perhaps it was a perfect plan after all. …Perfect for the werewolves.

… …

It was a bad night to be a young lady wandering far from the safety of her village. Luckily for Tia, she had four wolves by her side- though she wouldn't have known, since in her eyes they were young adult humans, much like herself. Just as Toboe had promised, he brought his friends to escort Tia to the place where she planned on planting her precious lunar flower sapling.

They came to a steady part of the river, which would eventually lead to a nearby waterfall. Here, Tia hoped the sapling would take in more water than she could offer it back in her greenery. The wolves watched observantly as the young woman put her planting skills to the test.

"There," Tia gave a satisfied smile as she backed away from the plant's new home. "Now she'll bloom in the wild, where she belongs."

"And when it blooms," smiled Kiba, "it'll mean new medicine for your people."

Tia's smile faultered, as if she had her doubts about the flower's legendary potency. "I do hope you're right, Kiba."

Kiba then glanced over to his friends with a knowing smile. "There's always some bit of truth to every legend." His words hit home for Toboe; as long as his leader and teacher believed in such legends, then that was enough for him.

The peaceful mood of the scene was soon shattered by the sounds of gunshots in the distance. Tia gasped, "What was that?" as she glanced around worriedly.

"Sounded like gunfire," frowned Hige, who almost gave off a growl.

Blue was not so resistant to her own growl. "Hige… do you smell them too?"

"Yeah… We better get out of here, guys."

"Go?" asked Tia with fear in her voice. "What's going on?"

Kiba quickly commanded, "Toboe, escort Tia home. She's vulnerable out here."

"Right," nodded the young pup. He then gently took Tia's arm. "Come on, Tia. Let's get back to the village."

"But your friends," resisted Tia at first.

"Don't worry," reassured the wolf pup in disguise. "They know what they're doing."

…

Kiba led Hige and Blue down the river, which flowed ever faster with their gait. As the water soon became rapid, they knew instantly that they were headed toward a waterfall. There, they were sure to find their enemies.

"_**Awoooooooooooo!"**_ cried out a low and eerie voice on the wind. Kiba recognized that voice instantly; it was definitely a werewolf's. But he was about to discover just which one it was.

As the pack headed toward the edge of the cliff, they were stopped by a black blur that seemed to have jumped from the bottom of the waterfall itself. It landed perfectly on its hind legs, atop a summit of rocks. He, the giant black wolf-man, looked almost elegant as the mid-summer wind swept his red hooded cape, along with his extra-long fur.

"Greetings, my friends. I am The Alpha."

Kiba glared at him sternly. "You're the one in charge of those monsters?"

"**Monsters?** Aww, that hurts my feelings," frowned Alpha. "I am merely following my instincts, and my Master, toward Paradise."

"Your Master?" Kiba narrowed his eyes.

"Yes… He is like you, a true wolf. One who walks between this world and the spirit world. He has seen Paradise, and now he is guiding my brethren and I down its path. You, of course, are welcomed to join us."

"What if we say no?"

"**Ohh…** Then you'll have the honor of becoming my next meal." Alpha then licked his lips.

"Let's take him, Kiba," growled Hige nearby, poised to fight.

"Hold on," Kiba muttered to him. "I want to know more about these guys… Tell me, Alpha, who is your Master? Does he have a name?"

The Alpha grinned in a nearly joyful manner. "Oh, I am so glad you asked! He only shows himself to those who are most worthy of his presence. …Perhaps you can see him now. Look closely…"

The teen stared intently with his piercing aqua eyes. He could only see black smoke emanating from his foe at first, but the more he concentrated, the clearer that fog became. Until at last, it started to take form. It seemed to Kiba that this Master was in fact a ghost, one that had attached itself to the Alpha werewolf somehow. They seemed joined to the shoulder line, side by side and yet they were one in the same.

And then, he saw them. Two bright eyes, one yellow and one blue. Those were the eyes he hoped he would never see again- the eyes from his nightmares!

"No… No, it can't be," he gasped in horror.

"Kiba?" cooed Blue worriedly. She could see the sudden terror in his face, terror she thought she'd never see coming from him.

The ghostly figure smiled its ugly, crooked smile to Kiba. It seemed to know him on a personal level. It was definitely him, the monster from Kiba's nightmares, the one who threatened to kill everyone he cared deeply about… starting with Toboe.

Then he heard its hauntingly familiar voice purring: _"You are not worthy of Paradise."_

Alpha heard him, having a strange bond with the entity. He looked back to the white wolf and frowned, "My Master disapproves of you. I am truly disappointed by this, as I have no personal quarrel with any fellow wolf."

"You're not a wolf," snarled Kiba furiously. "You're just a lost boy who finds pleasure in eating innocent people!"

"My Master seems to think that I am his successor," argued the Alpha. "And if he finds fault in you, than so do I."

Kiba's mind seemed to be playing cruel tricks on him at that point. He could swear he almost heard the ghost whisper, _"I'll kill the smallest one first."_

"Don't you TOUCH THEM!!" screamed the white wolf, lunging at the Alpha. To the surprise of everyone, Kiba shed his disguise and pushed himself into the Alpha's chest. The impact was so strong that the two of them, wolf and werewolf, leaned over the edge of the cliff and began to lose their balance.

"Kiba!" barked Hige and Blue in horror. But their cries would go unheard, for at that point Kiba and Alpha tumbled right over the waterfall. The two of them disappeared into the hazy fog that surrounded the base of the waterfall.

By then, the other werewolves had moved on. Alpha seemed to have heard the oncoming wolves and decided to meet them head on. But now, he was in a quite humbling situation, having been nearly drowned in the now stilled water. He and Kiba swam to opposite sides of the lake, eyeballing each other with great hatred as they made it to the banks.

"I will see to it that you and your pack fails," sneered the alpha, and with that he galloped away.

Kiba froze in place, not even taking notice to his friends calling to him from atop the cliff. He was in his own little world, swallowed up by fear and anger at the same time. He seemed to have no idea what to do with himself. But eventually, he came to his senses and rejoined his friends.

… …

Kiba was silent while he and his friends headed back to Clay Town. Neither Blue nor Hige dared to ask him what he saw and heard; to them, the ghost wasn't there at all. But they couldn't deny its existence, after the way Kiba reacted so violently. He was clearly in deep thought while they retraced their steps toward the quiet little town. In truth, he was contemplating his next move. And it was going to be a hard one.

Kiba and the others returned to Toboe and Tia, who waited for them at the edge of town. "Kiba, what happened? Are you guys alright?" asked Toboe worriedly.

"Tia…" Kiba muttered. "…Yes?" peeped the young lady. He answered, "Your town is safe now; we've scared off the intruders. But we have to leave now, so…"

"I see," frowned Tia. "This is goodbye. …I understand, but I want you all to know how grateful I am for your help tonight."

"We're grateful for your hospitality," nodded Kiba. His face was tensed up, which could only be noticed by his fellow wolves. Something was definitely shaking him. "Let's go now," he said to Hige and Blue. They nodded and followed after him.

Toboe stopped to say his own goodbyes to Tia while the others scaled the lime stone cliff that kept the town safely hidden. But when the pup rejoined his friends atop the cliff, he would get the shock of his life.

"Where're we going from here, Kiba?" asked Toboe. Kiba's back was turned to him, and he was disturbingly still and silent. "…Kiba?"

Without turning to face the pup, the white wolf declared in a low and commanding voice, "Toboe… you need to stay here."

"Huh?" blinked the bewildered pup. "What do you mean, Kiba?"

"I'm saying you can't come with us anymore. You're staying here in Clay Town, where it's safe."

The pup's heart exploded. His eyes widened with a rush of sorrow. "But… But Kiba, I… I want to stay with you."

"I made a promise to your mother, to keep you safe. That's what I'm doing right now."

"…But…"

"Toboe, this is for your own good. Trust me on this."

The shocked pup crept over to Kiba's side, still unsure if this was really Kiba he was talking to. "I don't understand. What did I do wrong? …Kiba, please tell me this is some kind of joke. Please!"

The white wolf then whipped his head around, bearing his fangs, and snarled at the pup with a sense of authority. The pup winced in reaction, his ears pinned back with fear. He was then forced back, his tail between his legs.

"…You really don't want me to be with you anymore?" murmured the heartbroken preteen. Kiba was silent, and that alone made Toboe all the more tense. "Say it, Kiba. Say it so that I know it's not a lie."

The white wolf's eyes glared, as if he was staring down an enemy. "…I don't want you in my pack anymore. You're on your own now."

While he still found it hard to understand Kiba's true intentions, the pup backed away even more until he was back on the edge of Clay Town's cliff. He tried, with failure, to hold back tears. He realized at that point what was really happening: he was being abandoned.

Kiba then motioned to his fellow teenagers, and fled into the wilderness. Blue and Hige were a bit hesitant at first, but they knew they were under orders to leave. And so they did, looking back only once at the pup they were leaving behind.

Toboe's wolf ears bent to the side, his eyes drooping with heartbreak. He sat awkwardly on his bottom, wanting to move but not having enough willpower to. Then, when he felt truly alone, he let out a long and lamenting howl.

_"Woooooooo….. Woooooooooooooooo…"_

In the far distance, Kiba's pack heard Toboe's howls. But they couldn't turn back now, what was done was done. Kiba had to convince himself that it was for the pup's own good. At least now the evil wolf from his nightmares would no longer threaten his dearest of friends. There was still Blue and Hige to worry about, but he knew that they were big and strong enough to take care of themselves.

…On the other hand, he was reminded of the nightmare wolf's cunning words: _"To be the Chosen One is to be alone."_ If there was any truth to that nightmare, then Kiba's worries were far from over.

… …

Clay Town would not see its last wolf pack after that night. By sunrise, a grey wolf's paw stepped on the edge of the cliff that hid the humble little village. With one of its members now gone, Tsume's pack looked a bit weakened. But that wouldn't stop them from investigating the quaint little village made of stone and straw.

**Next: "You Can't Pick Your Family"**


End file.
